Located in Carbon County, Utah, Spring Canyon is a ghost town. The nearest town is Helper, about 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away (Spring Canyon lies WNW of town).
Spring Canyon, also called Storrs, is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. In 1912, Jesse Knight purchased 1,600 acres of coal land and began developing a mine and a company town. Knight named the town Storrs, after the mine superintendent. The name of the town was changed to Spring Canyon in 1924. 1,000 tons of coal per day were mined from 1924 to 1943, and during World War II, coal production peaked at 2,000 tons of coal per day. By 1946, the need for coal diminished, and people began to leave. By 1969, Spring Canyon was abandoned.From the Wikipedia article “Spring Canyon, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Spring Canyon 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 8:56 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 121° ESE | 5:03 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Spring Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 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 | 5:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 3:46 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:26 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 59 | 65 | 75 | 82 | 95 | 99 | 103 | 99 | 97 | 85 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -20 | -8 | 3 | 17 | 22 | 30 | 46 | 41 | 26 | 13 | -2 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Spring Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Price Canyon Recreation Area9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Avintaquin Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Fish Creek Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Bridges Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Little Rock Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Spring Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Spring Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Spring Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Spring Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Spring Canyon?
How far is Spring Canyon from Helper?
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.