Forest City — a ghost town in Utah County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.0 km (6.8 mi) W of Midway.
Forest City is a ghost town in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is located in the valley of Dutchman Flat in the upper part of American Fork Canyon, in the Uinta National Forest. A silver mining town just over the mountain from Alta, Forest City was inhabited about 1871–1880. The town grew up around the smelter that was built to process ore from the canyon's mines. The American Fork Railroad, which was intended to serve Forest City and the smelter, stopped short of its destination due to engineering difficulties. Transportation costs rose too high for the mines to continue operating profitably. As the smelter, mines, and railroad closed down, Forest City was abandoned.From the Wikipedia article “Forest City, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Forest City 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 9:01 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 121° ESE | 5:03 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Forest City, 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 | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:54 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:55 PM – 2:25 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 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 ≈ 20.13 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 34% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 50 | 56 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 49 |
| Low °F | -23 | -28 | -14 | -6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 1 | -17 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
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 Forest City, closest first.
State Park
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
Canyon
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Albion Basin5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Granite Flat (Utah) 6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Tanners Flat9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Redman Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Little Mill10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Forest City?
What time is golden hour at Forest City?
Where does the sun rise and set at Forest City?
Can you see the Milky Way from Forest City?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Forest City?
How far is Forest City from Midway?
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.