Located in Fall River County, South Dakota, Burdock is a ghost town. The nearest town is Hot Springs, about 42 km (26 mi) away (Burdock lies W of town).
Burdock is an uninhabited ghost town in Argentine Township in Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. According to the Federal Writers' Project, the origin of the name Burdock is obscure.From the Wikipedia article “Burdock, South Dakota”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Burdock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 56° NE | 8:41 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 59m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Burdock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 69 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 106 | 108 | 104 | 101 | 89 | 76 | 64 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -9 | 8 | 20 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 28 | 2 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Burdock?
What time is golden hour at Burdock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Burdock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Burdock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Burdock?
How far is Burdock from Hot Springs?
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.