Washakie — a ghost town in Box Elder County, Utah — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Garland, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Washakie lies NNW of town).
Washakie is a ghost town in far northern Box Elder County, Utah, United States. Lying some 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Portage, it was established in 1880 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for the settlement of the Northwestern Shoshone. The Washakie Indian Farm was home to the main body of this Native American band through most of the 20th century. By the mid-1970s, Washakie's residents were gone and the property sold to a private ranching operation. Today the tribal reservation consists of a small tract containing the Washakie cemetery, and the tribe is seeking to acquire more of the surrounding land. The old LDS chapel in Washakie is now on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Washakie, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Washakie 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 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 57° ENE | 9:08 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 122° ESE | 5:01 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Washakie, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:09 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.0 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 60 | 75 | 84 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 100 | 95 | 85 | 70 | 58 |
| Low °F | -14 | -1 | 13 | 23 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 36 | 19 | -3 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Washakie, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Washakie?
What time is golden hour at Washakie?
Where does the sun rise and set at Washakie?
Can you see the Milky Way from Washakie?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Washakie?
How far is Washakie from Garland?
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.