Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Buck Mountain Lookout Tower is a fire lookout. It is part of Coconino National Forest. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) N of Pine. It dates from 1939. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Buck Mountain Lookout Tower is a groundhouse and fire lookout in the Coronado National Forest in Arizona, United States. It was constructed in 1933 or 1939. The structure was designated as a National Historic Lookout on April 1, 2001, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 1987. The lookout house's boundary has dimensions of 80 by 80 feet (24 by 24 meters) and is situated at an elevation of 7,541 feet (2,298 m). It has a has an R-3 modified L-4 14' by 14' cab with a catwalk. It is one of few remaining CT-2 towers in America.From the Wikipedia article “Buck Mountain Lookout Tower”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buck Mountain Lookout Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:30 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 61° ENE | 7:43 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:14 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 118° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Buck Mountain Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:28 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:23 PM – 1:53 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:16 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 79 | 85 | 94 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -14 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 36 | 48 | 48 | 33 | 19 | 13 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Buck Mountain Lookout Tower, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Apache Maid Cabin10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Long Valley Group Campground18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Rock Crossing Campground (Az)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Moqui Group Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Elks Group Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buck Mountain Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Buck Mountain Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buck Mountain Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buck Mountain Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buck Mountain Lookout Tower?
How far is Buck Mountain Lookout Tower from Pine?
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.