Located in Clallam County, Washington, Gettysburg is a ghost town. It sits roughly 30 km (18 mi) W of Port Angeles.
Gettysburg was a town near the mouth of the Lyre River at the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Clallam County, in the U.S. state of Washington. The community was named after Robert N. Getty, a businessman in the lumber industry. The 30-year-old Getty settled in the area in 1887 and built several structures that served a local logging boom. A post office called Gettysburgh was established in 1890, and remained in operation until 1926. In 1912, Gettysburg postmaster, Ida M. Simmons, was convicted of embezzling $814 from the US government and she served a "unique" sentence of one hour in prison. Gettysburg had a steamboat connection to Puget Sound cities. By 1976 it was reported that nothing remained of the town of Gettysburg except its name.From the Wikipedia article “Gettysburg, Washington”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gettysburg the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 52° NE | 9:20 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:04 AM | 126° SE | 4:25 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 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 | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:59 PM | 16h 03m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 41m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 23m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Gettysburg, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:52 AM – 4:22 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:56 AM – 2:56 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:41 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:02 AM – 12:52 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 10:57 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). August 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 | 53 | 55 | 65 | 76 | 81 | 85 | 93 | 87 | 82 | 70 | 60 | 56 |
| Low °F | 14 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 43 | 47 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 15 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 6.8 |
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 Gettysburg, closest first.
Waterfall
Lighthouse
Fire Lookout
Lake
Waterfall
Lake
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fairholme Campground11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Klahowya Campground24 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gettysburg?
What time is golden hour at Gettysburg?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gettysburg?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gettysburg?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gettysburg?
How far is Gettysburg from Port Angeles?
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.