Waconda — a ghost town in Marion County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gervais, about 7.2 km (4.5 mi) away (Waconda lies WSW of town).
Waconda is a historic unincorporated community in Marion County, Oregon, United States, near the crossroads of River Road Rd NE and Waconda Road NE on the French Prairie. Waconda was once a station on the Oregon Electric Railway and it formerly had a post office by the same name. The station was named when the railroad was built through the area in 1907, and the post office was established in 1912. There was previously a community called Waconda about a mile south of Gervais established in 1870 on the former line of the Oregon & California Railroad (now owned by Union Pacific). The name may come from the Great Plains Native American word "Wakonda" (something consecrated). Waconda was one of a series of OE stations with Native American names; one station to the south was named for Chinookan leader Comcomly and the next one to the north was named for Kalapuyan "Chief" Quinaby. In 1915,...From the Wikipedia article “Waconda, Oregon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Waconda 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 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 55° NE | 9:03 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 47m |
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 Waconda, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:34 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:25 PM | 0.3 | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.96 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 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 62 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 93 | 100 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 87 | 67 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 15 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
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 Waconda, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
Lake
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Waconda?
What time is golden hour at Waconda?
Where does the sun rise and set at Waconda?
Can you see the Milky Way from Waconda?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Waconda?
How far is Waconda from Gervais?
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.