Waterman — a ghost town in Wheeler County, Oregon at about 1,203 m (3,947 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 83 km (52 mi) ENE of Prineville.
Waterman, also known as Waterman Flat, is an unincorporated community in Wheeler County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Waterman lies southeast of Richmond and northeast of Mitchell at the intersection of Richmond Road, Parrish Creek Road, and Waterman Road. Waterman Road intersects U.S. Route 26 about 10 miles (16 km) south of Waterman. The cattle-ranching community had a post office from 1887 to 1944. Caleb N. Thornburg was the first postmaster. In the late 19th century, Waterman Flat was a stagecoach stop with a hotel and a livery stable. By 1975, the ruins of a barn were all that remained.From the Wikipedia article “Waterman, Oregon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Waterman 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) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 55° NE | 8:49 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 123° ESE | 4:23 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:19 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Waterman, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 11:20 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 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 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). July 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 | 58 | 60 | 74 | 82 | 92 | 99 | 103 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 69 | 57 |
| Low °F | -10 | -2 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 30 | 40 | 37 | 28 | 13 | 1 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Waterman, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Waterman?
What time is golden hour at Waterman?
Where does the sun rise and set at Waterman?
Can you see the Milky Way from Waterman?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Waterman?
How far is Waterman from Prineville?
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.