Located in Washington County, Utah, Grafton is a ghost town. It lies in or next to Zion National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is LaVerkin, about 17.2 km (10.7 mi) away (Grafton lies ESE of town).
Grafton is a ghost town, just south of Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States. Said to be the most photographed ghost town in the West, it has been featured as a location in several films, including 1929's In Old Arizona—the first talkie filmed outdoors—and the classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The nearest inhabited town is Rockville, which now includes the Grafton ghost town inside its legal boundaries.From the Wikipedia article “Grafton, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grafton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 59° ENE | 8:56 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Grafton, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:48 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:52 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 68 | 70 | 80 | 86 | 96 | 103 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 87 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 37 | 52 | 48 | 32 | 16 | 10 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Grafton, closest first.
Ghost Town
Canyon
Dark Sky Place
Rock Formation
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Watchman Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- South Campground (Ut)9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Lava Point Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Red Cliffs Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grafton?
What time is golden hour at Grafton?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grafton?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grafton?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grafton?
How far is Grafton from LaVerkin?
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.