Located in Izard County, Arkansas, Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District is a fire lookout. It is part of Ozark–St. Francis National Forest. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) SSW of Calico Rock. It dates from 1937. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District encompasses a collection of historic buildings located near the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain, a hill 1150 feet in elevation in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest of northeastern Stone County, Arkansas. The main structure is a braced metal-frame fire tower, alongside which stand a residence, privy, and vaulted stone storage cellar. These structures were all built in 1937 by a crew of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and is particularly unusual because the fire watch facility included a residence. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.From the Wikipedia article “Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 60° ENE | 8:30 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:59 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 43m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:35 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:30 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: 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 72 | 78 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 109 | 108 | 111 | 104 | 94 | 84 | 73 |
| Low °F | 0 | -5 | 7 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 55 | 50 | 41 | 26 | 15 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
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.
- 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 Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Barkshed Campground10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Gunner Pool Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Blanchard Springs Recreation Area12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Blanchard Springs Campgrounds12.5 km (7.7 mi)
- Dam - Quarry21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District?
What time is golden hour at Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District?
How far is Sugarloaf Fire Tower Historic District from Calico Rock?
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.