Chews Ridge Lookout — a fire lookout in Monterey County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Los Padres National Forest. The nearest town is Big Sur, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Chews Ridge Lookout lies ENE of town).
The Chews Ridge Lookout is located at the northern end of the Santa Lucia Range of the Los Padres National Forest, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Monterey, California, and approximately 30 miles (48 km) west of Highway 101. The current tower was built in 1929 and staffed until around 1990. A volunteer organization began recruiting individuals to staff the tower in 2019. The ridge and tower were named for homesteaders Constantine and Nellie Chew, who patented 315 acres (127 ha) on the ridge in the late 19th century.From the Wikipedia article “Chews Ridge Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chews Ridge Lookout 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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:28 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 42m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Chews Ridge Lookout, 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 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:17 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.3 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chews Ridge Lookout, closest first.
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
State Park
Canyon
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White Oaks Campground1.7 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- China Camp Campground1.8 km (1.1 mi) · reservable
- Arroyo Seco11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Arroyo Seco Group Campground11.7 km (7.2 mi)
- Escondido Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chews Ridge Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Chews Ridge Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chews Ridge Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chews Ridge Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chews Ridge Lookout?
How far is Chews Ridge Lookout from Big Sur?
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.