Big Spring — a ghost town in Wilson County, Tennessee at about 164 m (538 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.2 km (7.0 mi) ENE of Lebanon.
Big Spring is a ghost town in Wilson County, Tennessee, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Big Spring, Wilson County, Tennessee”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Spring the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 60° ENE | 8:06 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 119° ESE | 4:34 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:05 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 42m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Big Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:55 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 71 | 74 | 81 | 83 | 90 | 107 | 105 | 107 | 101 | 97 | 86 | 73 |
| Low °F | 2 | -5 | 3 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 54 | 50 | 38 | 26 | 8 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.9 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
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.
- 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 Big Spring, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tailwater Rec Area22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Laguardo24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Defeated Creek Park25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lone Branch29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Spring?
What time is golden hour at Big Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Spring?
How far is Big Spring from Lebanon?
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.