Located in Lincoln County, Washington, Govan is a ghost town. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) SSE of Grand Coulee.
Govan is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, in US state of Washington. An abandoned schoolhouse, post office and grain elevator, along with a few houses, both deserted and occupied, are all that remains of the town. It is considered to be a ghost town.From the Wikipedia article “Govan, Washington”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Govan the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:58 AM | 53° NE | 8:58 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 125° SE | 4:06 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:41 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:16 AM | 4:57 AM | 5:46 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:34 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:11 PM | 4:04 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Govan, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:30 AM – 4:00 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:31 AM – 2:51 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:05 AM – 1:45 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:34 PM – 12:44 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 10:44 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.86 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 27% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 57 | 58 | 71 | 84 | 94 | 103 | 104 | 103 | 96 | 82 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -13 | -2 | 3 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 45 | 46 | 33 | 18 | 2 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 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
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Govan, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Keller Ferry Group Sites (Concessionaire-Operated)22 km (14 mi)
- Keller Ferry Campground (Concessionaire-Operated)23 km (14 mi)
- Spring Canyon23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Spring Canyon Group Site23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Jones Bay Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Govan?
What time is golden hour at Govan?
Where does the sun rise and set at Govan?
Can you see the Milky Way from Govan?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Govan?
How far is Govan from Grand Coulee?
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.