Located in Josephine County, Oregon, Kerby is a ghost town. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) N of Cave Junction.
Kerby is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Josephine County, Oregon, United States, north of Cave Junction on U.S. Route 199. As of the 2020 census, Kerby had a population of 628. Despite its population and numerous businesses, it is often listed in tourist guides as a ghost town, because of the number of historic buildings left from its days as a gold-mining town. Kerby came into existence between 1854 and 1857.From the Wikipedia article “Kerby, Oregon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kerby the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 57° ENE | 8:55 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Kerby, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:48 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 3:47 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 11:55 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 79 | 58 |
| Low °F | 7 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
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 Kerby, closest first.
Waterfall
Ghost Town
CaveWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- River Bench Campground13.4 km (8.3 mi)
- Chinquapin Group Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Bolan Mountain Lookout25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Onion Mountain Lookout29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kerby?
What time is golden hour at Kerby?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kerby?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kerby?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kerby?
How far is Kerby from Cave Junction?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.