Pinkney City — a ghost town in Stevens County, Washington — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Colville, about 3.9 km (2.4 mi) away (Pinkney City lies NNE of town).
Pinkney City (also called Pinkneyville) was a small community outside of Fort Colville (US Army) in what is now Stevens County, Washington. Originally named for Brevet Major Pinkney Lugenbeel, first commander and builder of the fort in 1859. The town grew up around the fort shortly after.From the Wikipedia article “Pinkney City, Washington”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pinkney City 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 234° (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) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:50 AM | 52° NE | 8:58 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 126° SE | 3:59 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 17m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 45m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:34 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 4:07 AM | 4:50 AM | 5:39 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:38 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 44m |
| August | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:03 PM | 3:57 PM | 4:34 PM | 8h 19m |
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 Pinkney City, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:01 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 2:36 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:30 AM – 1:10 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:43 PM – 12:23 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 10:26 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). July 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 | 37 | 49 | 63 | 75 | 87 | 98 | 101 | 103 | 94 | 82 | 57 | 41 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -15 | 15 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 39 | 26 | 9 | -23 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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 Pinkney City, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Beach
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Marcus Island Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Evans Campground17.0 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Kettle Falls Locust Grove Group Site17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Kettle Falls Campground18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Haag Cove Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pinkney City?
What time is golden hour at Pinkney City?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pinkney City?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pinkney City?
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How far is Pinkney City from Colville?
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.