Minnesela — a ghost town in Butte County, South Dakota — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Belle Fourche, about 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away (Minnesela lies SE of town).
Minnesela (Lakota: mni šeyéla; "red water") is a ghost town and was the first settlement in and county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Minnesela was founded in 1882 and was located three miles southeast of present-day Belle Fourche. The railroad's decision to bypass Minnesela and to continue on to Belle Fourche in 1890 caused the town to be abandoned by 1901.From the Wikipedia article “Minnesela, South Dakota”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Minnesela 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 55° NE | 8:45 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 123° ESE | 4:18 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Minnesela, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 4:59 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:14 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 2:34 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:18 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:17 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:18 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.04 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 69 | 80 | 85 | 94 | 106 | 109 | 103 | 100 | 90 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -14 | -13 | -15 | 7 | 18 | 34 | 45 | 40 | 26 | -4 | -1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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
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 Minnesela, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Minnesela?
What time is golden hour at Minnesela?
Where does the sun rise and set at Minnesela?
Can you see the Milky Way from Minnesela?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Minnesela?
How far is Minnesela from Belle Fourche?
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.