Vetter Mountain Lookout is a fire lookout in Los Angeles County, California. It is part of San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The nearest town is Altadena, about 15.2 km (9.4 mi) away (Vetter Mountain Lookout lies NE of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Vetter Mountain Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 61° ENE | 8:08 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 53m |
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 Vetter Mountain Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.03 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Vetter Mountain Lookout, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
National Forest
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chilao Campground - Little Pines Loop3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Coulter Group Campground3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Group Campground3.1 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Bandido Group Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Lightning Point Group Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Vetter Mountain Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Vetter Mountain Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Vetter Mountain Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Vetter Mountain Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Vetter Mountain Lookout?
How far is Vetter Mountain Lookout from Altadena?
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.