Jawbone Flats is a ghost town in Marion County, Oregon at about 639 m (2,096 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) ENE of Mill City.
Jawbone Flats is a ghost town in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Opal Creek, approximately 22 miles (35 km) from Salem, the state capitol, and is accessible via the Opal Pool Loop trail. Established in 1931, Jawbone Flats was a mining camp founded after miners discovered gold in the region in 1859.From the Wikipedia article “Jawbone Flats, Oregon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jawbone Flats the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 8:59 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 49m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Jawbone Flats, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:09 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:28 PM – 2:48 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:12 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.5 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Jawbone Flats, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Wilderness AreaNatural Arch
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Elk Lake Campground7.0 km (4.4 mi)
- Elk Lake (Or)7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Shady Cove7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Gold Butte Lookout11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Humbug Campground13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jawbone Flats?
What time is golden hour at Jawbone Flats?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jawbone Flats?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jawbone Flats?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jawbone Flats?
How far is Jawbone Flats from Mill City?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.