West Peak Lookout Tower (AZ) Photo Guide: Best Time & Light

Located in Graham County, Arizona, West Peak Lookout Tower is a fire lookout. It is part of Coronado National Forest. The nearest town is Pima, about 26 km (16 mi) away (West Peak Lookout Tower lies SW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 45 m (148 ft). It dates from 1933. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.

Nearest town

Pima

26 km (16 mi)

Sky darkness

Bortle 2

Typical truly dark site

Clearest month

June

21% cloud

Milky Way peak

June

6.2 h window

Golden hour (Oct)

5:15 PM

sunset 5:48 PM

Sunrise & sunset directions

At West Peak 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 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.

June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Date	Sunrise	Azimuth	Sunset	Azimuth	Noon sun	Daylight
March equinox (Mar 20)	6:25 AM	90° E	6:32 PM	271° W	57°	12h 07m
June solstice (Jun 21)	5:13 AM	61° ENE	7:32 PM	299° WNW	81°	14h 19m
September equinox (Sep 22)	6:09 AM	89° E	6:18 PM	271° W	58°	12h 09m
December solstice (Dec 21)	7:19 AM	118° ESE	5:19 PM	243° WSW	34°	9h 59m

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	6:57 AM	7:23 AM	8:00 AM	5:01 PM	5:37 PM	6:04 PM	10h 14m
February	6:39 AM	7:04 AM	7:38 AM	5:32 PM	6:06 PM	6:31 PM	11h 02m
March	6:07 AM	6:31 AM	7:04 AM	5:56 PM	6:29 PM	6:53 PM	11h 57m
April	5:26 AM	5:51 AM	6:24 AM	6:17 PM	6:50 PM	7:16 PM	12h 59m
May	4:55 AM	5:22 AM	5:57 AM	6:38 PM	7:13 PM	7:40 PM	13h 50m
June	4:44 AM	5:13 AM	5:49 AM	6:54 PM	7:30 PM	7:59 PM	14h 18m
July	4:56 AM	5:24 AM	5:59 AM	6:54 PM	7:30 PM	7:58 PM	14h 06m
August	5:19 AM	5:45 AM	6:18 AM	6:33 PM	7:07 PM	7:33 PM	13h 22m
September	5:40 AM	6:05 AM	6:37 AM	5:55 PM	6:28 PM	6:53 PM	12h 23m
October	6:00 AM	6:25 AM	6:58 AM	5:15 PM	5:48 PM	6:13 PM	11h 24m
November	6:25 AM	6:51 AM	7:27 AM	4:45 PM	5:20 PM	5:46 PM	10h 29m
December	6:49 AM	7:16 AM	7:53 AM	4:39 PM	5:16 PM	5:44 PM	10h 01m

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 West Peak Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

Month	Core visible (15th)	Hours	Max altitude	Direction
January	Below 10° in darkness	—	1°	—
February	4:49 AM – 5:39 AM	0.8	17°	SE → SE
March	3:00 AM – 5:00 AM	2.0	25°	SE → SSE
April	12:56 AM – 4:16 AM	3.3	28°	SE → S
May	10:57 PM – 3:37 AM	4.7	28°	SE → SSW
June	9:12 PM – 3:22 AM	6.2	28°	SE → SW
July	9:08 PM – 1:58 AM	4.8	28°	SSE → SW
August	8:36 PM – 11:56 PM	3.3	28°	S → SW
September	7:51 PM – 10:01 PM	2.2	25°	SSW → SW
October	7:10 PM – 8:00 PM	0.8	17°	SW → SW
November	Below 10° in darkness	—	3°	—
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.72 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 July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 (%)

38%

39%

34%

27%

22%

21%

56%

48%

30%

23%

30%

39%

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	76	83	90	97	106	111	108	107	104	98	89	77
Low °F	18	15	22	32	38	49	64	61	49	30	20	21
Precip. (in)	1.1	1.1	0.6	0.4	0.1	0.2	2.5	2.2	1.3	0.6	0.7	1.1

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

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.
Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
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 West Peak Lookout Tower, closest first.

Scenic Viewpoint

West Peak Fire Lookout Tower0.0 km away · Graham County

Scenic Viewpoint

Webb Peak Fire Lookout Tower11 km away · Graham County

Fire Lookout

Webb Peak Lookout Tower11 km away · Graham County

Scenic Viewpoint

Fort Grant Vista Point14 km away · Graham County · 2,852 m

Waterfall

Ash Creek Falls14 km away · Graham County · 2,412 m

Waterfall

Grant Creek Falls14 km away · Graham County

Mountain Peak

Mount Graham16 km away · Graham County · 3,260 m

National Forest

Crook National Forest20 km away · Graham County

Scenic Viewpoint

Heliograph Peak Fire Lookout Tower20 km away · Graham County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph West Peak Lookout Tower?

June has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.

What time is golden hour at West Peak Lookout Tower?

In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:15 PM and ends after sunset at about 5:48 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 6:58 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.

Where does the sun rise and set at West Peak Lookout Tower?

Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 61° in June to 118° in December; sunset ranges from 299° to 243°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.

Can you see the Milky Way from West Peak Lookout Tower?

Yes — the core is visible from February to October on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).

Do you need a permit to photograph at West Peak Lookout Tower?

Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.

How far is West Peak Lookout Tower from Pima?

About 26 km (16 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.

West Peak Lookout Tower Photography Guide

Light at West Peak Lookout Tower

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

Sunrise & sunset directions

Golden hour & blue hour by month

Milky Way & night sky

Weather & best season

Average cloud cover (%)

Photography tips for this fire lookout

Nearby photo spots

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

Sources