Located in Box Elder County, Utah, Kelton is a ghost town. The nearest town is Tremonton, about 78 km (49 mi) away (Kelton lies W of town).
Kelton is a ghost town, just north of the Great Salt Lake, in the Park Valley area of Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The town was inhabited during the period of 1869–1942. Once an important section station on the First transcontinental railroad, Kelton was dependent on the railroad throughout its history. The town suffered serious setbacks in the 1880s when its busy stagecoach route to Boise, Idaho was discontinued, and in the 1900s when the Lucin Cutoff left it off the main rail line. The strongest earthquake in Utah history caused severe damage in 1934, but Kelton ceased to exist only when the rails were completely removed during World War II.From the Wikipedia article “Kelton, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kelton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 57° ENE | 9:11 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 122° ESE | 5:06 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Kelton, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:02 AM – 6:02 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 62 | 60 | 75 | 84 | 97 | 101 | 105 | 101 | 100 | 87 | 72 | 56 |
| Low °F | -15 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 22 | 30 | 44 | 43 | 28 | 12 | -4 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kelton?
What time is golden hour at Kelton?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kelton?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kelton?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kelton?
How far is Kelton from Tremonton?
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.