Shafter is a ghost town in Presidio County, Texas. The nearest town is Presidio, about 30 km (18 mi) away (Shafter lies NNE of town).
Shafter is a ghost town in Presidio County, Texas, United States. The Texas Attorney General's Office listed a population of 11 as of the 2000 Census. It was named in honor of General William R. Shafter, who at one point commanded the nearby Fort Davis. As of 2012, at least one silver mine, La Mina Grande, had been reopened by Aurcana Corporation. In October, the James Bay Mining Company announced that it had acquired the Shafter Silver Mine from Aurcana. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Shafter Historic Mining District. As of 2026, a well-funded plan is underway to turn the town into a tourist attraction.From the Wikipedia article “Shafter, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Shafter the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:02 AM | 90° E | 8:09 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:58 AM | 62° ENE | 9:02 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:46 AM | 89° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 117° ESE | 6:03 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:44 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:30 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:49 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:27 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:28 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:35 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:32 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Shafter, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:45 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 5:16 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:24 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:47 PM – 9:47 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). June 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 | 82 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 107 | 111 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 97 | 90 | 83 |
| Low °F | 21 | 12 | 23 | 34 | 39 | 60 | 62 | 59 | 50 | 31 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 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.
- 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 Shafter?
What time is golden hour at Shafter?
Where does the sun rise and set at Shafter?
Can you see the Milky Way from Shafter?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Shafter?
How far is Shafter from Presidio?
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.