Bingham Canyon is a ghost town in Salt Lake County, Utah. The nearest town is Herriman, about 9.6 km (6.0 mi) away (Bingham Canyon lies WNW of town).
Bingham Canyon was a city formerly located in southwestern Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, in a narrow canyon on the eastern face of the Oquirrh Mountains. The Bingham Canyon area boomed during the first years of the twentieth century, as rich copper deposits in the canyon began to be developed, and at its peak the city had approximately 15,000 residents. The success of the local mines eventually proved to be the town's undoing, however: by the mid-twentieth century, the huge open-pit Bingham Canyon Mine began encroaching on the land of the community, causing residents to relocate. By the 1970s, almost the entirety of the town had been devoured by the mine, and the few remaining residents voted to disincorporate and abandon the community. No trace of Bingham Canyon remains today.From the Wikipedia article “Bingham Canyon, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bingham Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 58° ENE | 9:03 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 121° ESE | 5:05 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Bingham Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:57 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.65 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 74 | 84 | 95 | 99 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 87 | 71 | 56 |
| Low °F | -12 | 2 | 14 | 22 | 25 | 36 | 49 | 47 | 31 | 16 | 4 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bingham Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Canyon
Botanical Garden
Rock Formation
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bingham Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Bingham Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bingham Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bingham Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bingham Canyon?
How far is Bingham Canyon from Herriman?
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.