Moe Settlement — a ghost town in Columbia County, Wisconsin at about 255 m (837 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Wisconsin Dells, about 6.6 km (4.1 mi) away (Moe Settlement lies ESE of town).
The Town of Newport is located in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 607 at the 2020 census. The ghost town of Moe Settlement was located in the town.From the Wikipedia article “Newport, Wisconsin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Moe Settlement the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 123° ESE | 4:26 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 58m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Moe Settlement, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 49 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Moe Settlement, closest first.
Ghost Town
Canyon
State Park
Lake
Waterfall
Rock Formation
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Moe Settlement?
What time is golden hour at Moe Settlement?
Where does the sun rise and set at Moe Settlement?
Can you see the Milky Way from Moe Settlement?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Moe Settlement?
How far is Moe Settlement from Wisconsin Dells?
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.