Thistle — a ghost town in Utah County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Woodland Hills, about 13.1 km (8.1 mi) away (Thistle lies ESE of town).
Thistle is a ghost town in Spanish Fork Canyon in southeastern Utah County, Utah, United States. During the era of steam locomotives, the town's primary industry was servicing trains for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (often shortened to D&RG, D&RGW, or Rio Grande). The fortunes of the town were closely linked with those of the railroad until the changeover to diesel locomotives, when the town started to decline. In April 1983, a massive landslide (specifically a complex earthflow) dammed the Spanish Fork River. The residents were evacuated as nearly 65,000 acre-feet (80,000,000 m3) of water backed up, flooding the town. Thistle was destroyed; only a few structures were left partially standing. Federal and state government agencies have said this was the most costly landslide in United States history, the economic consequences of which affected the entire region. The...From the Wikipedia article “Thistle, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thistle 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 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 58° ENE | 8:59 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 121° ESE | 5:05 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:47 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Thistle, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:03 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.0 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 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 50 | 57 | 68 | 74 | 85 | 90 | 94 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 66 | 51 |
| Low °F | -27 | -21 | -8 | 1 | 15 | 22 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -17 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
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 Thistle, closest first.
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Hot Spring
CanyonCanyonScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Diamond10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Payson Lakes Guard Station13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Payson Lakes14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Blackhawk15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Whiting15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thistle?
What time is golden hour at Thistle?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thistle?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thistle?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thistle?
How far is Thistle from Woodland Hills?
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.