Park Ridge Lookout is a fire lookout in Tulare County, California. It is part of Kings Canyon National Park. The nearest town is Yokuts Valley, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Park Ridge Lookout lies E of town). Its recorded tower height is about 20 m (66 ft). It dates from 1964.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Park 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 301° (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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 60° ENE | 8:19 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 119° ESE | 4:44 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 40m |
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 Park Ridge Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 4:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Park Ridge Lookout, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
LakeScenic Viewpoint
Cave
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sunset Campground (Ca)2.4 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- Crystal Springs Campground (Ca)2.8 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Crystal Springs Campground Mid-Sized Group Sites2.8 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Azalea Campground2.9 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Eshom Campground3.8 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Park Ridge Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Park Ridge Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Park Ridge Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Park Ridge Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Park Ridge Lookout?
How far is Park Ridge Lookout from Yokuts Valley?
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.