Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Woody Mountain Lookout Tower is a fire lookout. It is part of Coconino National Forest. It sits roughly 7.3 km (4.5 mi) NW of Kachina Village. Its recorded tower height is about 46 m (151 ft). It dates from 1936. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout in Arizona”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Woody Mountain 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 242° (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) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 60° ENE | 7:45 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Woody 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:19 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:31 PM – 3:21 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:50 PM – 11:50 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:01 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.7 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Woody Mountain Lookout Tower, closest first.
Botanical Garden
State Park
Dark Sky Place
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Canyon Vista14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Pine Flat Campground West14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Cave Spring16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Fernow Cabin16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Little Elden Springs Horsecamp22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Woody Mountain Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Woody Mountain Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Woody Mountain Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Woody Mountain Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Woody Mountain Lookout Tower?
How far is Woody Mountain Lookout Tower from Kachina 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.