Harrisburg is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah. The nearest town is Hurricane, about 9.8 km (6.1 mi) away (Harrisburg lies WNW of town).
Harrisburg is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah, United States. Established as Harrisville in 1859, the town was flooded by the Virgin River in 1862, causing the residents to move farther up Quail Creek. Soon after, the town's name was changed to Harrisburg. By 1868, 200 people lived in Harrisburg; however, over the course of the next few years, floods, Native American raids, and a grasshopper plague caused people to relocate to the nearby towns of Leeds and Silver Reef. By 1895, Harrisburg was abandoned. Presently, the site of Harrisburg is occupied by a real estate project called Harrisburg Estates, but many remnants from its old days are still visible throughout town including the historic cemetery and several sandstone houses. The neighborhood now lies within the legal boundaries of Hurricane.From the Wikipedia article “Harrisburg, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Harrisburg 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) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:14 AM | 59° ENE | 8:58 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 119° ESE | 5:20 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 | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 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 Harrisburg, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 12:54 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 10:52 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:45 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: 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 ≈ 20.98 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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Harrisburg, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Natural Arch
State Park
Hot Spring
Rock Formation
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Cliffs Campground1.9 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Recreation Area 20 km (12 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Guard Station20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Baker Dam Campground 29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Harrisburg?
What time is golden hour at Harrisburg?
Where does the sun rise and set at Harrisburg?
Can you see the Milky Way from Harrisburg?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Harrisburg?
How far is Harrisburg from Hurricane?
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.