Crane Flat Fire Lookout — a fire lookout in Mariposa County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Yosemite National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 22 km (13 mi) away (Crane Flat Fire Lookout lies W of town). It dates from 1931. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Crane Flat Fire Lookout in Yosemite National Park was built in 1931. An example of the National Park Service Rustic style, the lookout is a two-story structure with a lower storage or garage level and an upper observation level, with an overhanging roof. Design work was carried out by the National Park Service Landscape Division. The lookout was the first in Yosemite, and was still in use in the 1980s. It was designed in the National Park Service Rustic style, and is one of only four similar structures in California, with the Henness Ridge Fire Lookout being the only other in Yosemite. These lookouts were specifically designed to blend with their surroundings, in contrast to the metal towers used by the U.S. Forest Service. The Crane Flat lookout was included in an influential portfolio of park structures assembled by Thomas Chalmers Vint, chief landscape architect of the...From the Wikipedia article “Crane Flat Fire Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crane Flat Fire Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 59° ENE | 8:25 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Crane Flat Fire Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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.
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 Crane Flat Fire Lookout, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Natural ArchWaterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Crane Flat Campground2.1 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Hodgdon Meadow Campground5.9 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Tamarack Flat Campground7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Dimond O8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Dry Gulch9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crane Flat Fire Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Crane Flat Fire Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crane Flat Fire Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crane Flat Fire Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crane Flat Fire Lookout?
How far is Crane Flat Fire Lookout from Yosemite Valley?
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.