Big Springs Lookout Tower — a fire lookout in Coconino County, Arizona — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Kaibab National Forest. The nearest town is Fredonia, about 43 km (27 mi) away (Big Springs Lookout Tower lies SSE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 100 m (328 ft). It dates from 1934. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Big Springs Lookout Tower is a fire lookout tower in Kaibab National Forest near Big Springs, Arizona. The tower was built in 1934 for the U.S. Forest Service by contractors from Kanab, Utah. The steel tower is 100 feet (30 m) tall and features a 7-foot (2.1 m) square cab at the top. A wood-frame cabin is located near the base of the tower; the cabin was built in 1959 to replace an older log cabin. The tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.From the Wikipedia article “Big Springs Lookout Tower”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Springs Lookout Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:34 AM | 90° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 60° ENE | 7:52 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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
Lookouts are built for 360° views, so sunrise and sunset are both options — use the azimuths to decide which view you want.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 41m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Big Springs Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:31 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:40 PM – 3:10 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:35 PM – 1:55 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:56 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:05 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:20 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 81 | 87 | 97 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 100 | 87 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 4 | -2 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 50 | 47 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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 fire lookout
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Warm layers. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Big Springs Lookout Tower, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Springs Cabin Site1.6 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Jacob Lake Recreation Area16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Jacob Lake Group Campground & Picnic Site16.9 km (10.5 mi)
- Jumpup Cabin19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Demotte27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Springs Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Big Springs Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Springs Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Springs Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Springs Lookout Tower?
How far is Big Springs Lookout Tower from Fredonia?
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.