Signal Peak Lookout is a fire lookout in Mariposa County, California. It is part of Sierra National Forest. The nearest town is Midpines, about 16.0 km (9.9 mi) away (Signal Peak Lookout lies E of town). It dates from 1951.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Signal Peak 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) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 59° ENE | 8:24 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Signal Peak 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 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 | — | -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 | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:10 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 ≈ 21.53 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
- 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.
- 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 Signal Peak Lookout, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Waterfall
Fire LookoutWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wawona Horse Campsites7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Wawona Campground8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Summerdale Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Dirt Flat17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Dry Gulch17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Signal Peak Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Signal Peak Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Signal Peak Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Signal Peak Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Signal Peak Lookout?
How far is Signal Peak Lookout from Midpines?
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.