Silver Reef — a ghost town in Washington County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Toquerville, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Silver Reef lies W of town).
Silver Reef is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah, United States, about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of St. George and 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Leeds. John Kemple, a prospector from Nevada, discovered a vein of silver in a sandstone formation in 1866. Geologists were first unconvinced by the discovery because silver is not usually found in sandstone. In 1875, two bankers from Salt Lake City sent William Barbee to the site to stake mining claims. He staked 21 claims and an influx of miners came to work Barbee's claims and to stake their own. To accommodate the miners, Barbee established a town called Bonanza City. Property values there were high, so several miners settled on a ridge to the north of it and named their settlement Rockpile. The town was renamed Silver Reef after silver mines in nearby Pioche closed and businessmen relocated.From the Wikipedia article “Silver Reef, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Silver Reef 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 44m |
| 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 | 6:08 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 | 7:34 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 | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:55 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 | 7:26 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:08 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 | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:37 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 Silver Reef, 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 | 5:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:49 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:53 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:51 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:44 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 ≈ 21.22 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 Silver Reef, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Hot Spring
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Cliffs Campground4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Recreation Area 16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Guard Station16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Baker Dam Campground 28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Silver Reef?
What time is golden hour at Silver Reef?
Where does the sun rise and set at Silver Reef?
Can you see the Milky Way from Silver Reef?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Silver Reef?
How far is Silver Reef from Toquerville?
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.