Winter Quarters is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah at about 2,464 m (8,084 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) ENE of Fairview.
Winter Quarters is a ghost town in Carbon County, Utah, United States. Coal was discovered in the area in 1875, and later that year, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company began coal mining operations. A group of coal miners was delayed during an early winter storm in 1877, which led to the town's name of Winter Quarters. On May 1, 1900, an explosion in the Winter Quarters Number Four mine killed 200 miners. Despite the mine explosion, the coal mining operations remained active until 1922, when the opening of a new mine in Castle Gate caused many people to relocate there. By 1930, Winter Quarters was abandoned.From the Wikipedia article “Winter Quarters, Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Winter Quarters 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) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 58° ENE | 8:57 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 121° ESE | 5:04 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 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 Winter Quarters, 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 | 5:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:42 AM – 6:02 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 2:29 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 8:27 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 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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 Winter Quarters, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fish Creek Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Gooseberry Reservoir9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Gooseberry Creek Campground10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Flat Canyon10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Mammoth Cabin10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Winter Quarters?
What time is golden hour at Winter Quarters?
Where does the sun rise and set at Winter Quarters?
Can you see the Milky Way from Winter Quarters?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Winter Quarters?
How far is Winter Quarters from Fairview?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.