Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Red Butte Lookout Tower is a fire lookout. It lies in or next to Grand Canyon National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Grand Canyon Village, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Red Butte Lookout Tower lies SSE of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Red Butte 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 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:49 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Red Butte Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:27 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:35 PM – 3:15 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:30 PM – 1:50 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:53 PM – 11:53 PM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:03 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 80 | 87 | 96 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 99 | 88 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | 10 | 16 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 14 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- 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.
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 Red Butte Lookout Tower, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tusayan - Montane13.3 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Hull Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Mather Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Trailer Village Rv Park - South Rim26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red Butte Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Red Butte Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Red Butte Lookout Tower?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Red Butte Lookout Tower?
How far is Red Butte Lookout Tower from Grand Canyon Village?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.