Located in Fayette County, West Virginia, Greenwood is a ghost town at about 751 m (2,464 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Mount Hope, about 15.6 km (9.7 mi) away (Greenwood lies E of town).
Greenwood is a ghost town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Greenwood was 0.8 miles (1.3 km) northwest of Lawton. Greenwood appeared on USGS maps as late as 1912.From the Wikipedia article “Greenwood, Fayette County, West Virginia”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Greenwood the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 59° ENE | 8:50 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 5:09 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Greenwood, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:37 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:33 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| 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 ≈ 21.66 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 October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Greenwood, closest first.
Rock Formation
Rock Formation
Ghost Town
State Park
Waterfall
Ghost Town
Waterfall
State ParkGhost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grandview Playground Shelter8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 18.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 48.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 38.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 28.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Greenwood?
What time is golden hour at Greenwood?
Where does the sun rise and set at Greenwood?
Can you see the Milky Way from Greenwood?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Greenwood?
How far is Greenwood from Mount Hope?
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.