Devil's Head Lookout is a fire lookout in Douglas County, Colorado. It is part of Pike National Forest. The nearest town is Perry Park, about 9.4 km (5.8 mi) away (Devil's Head Lookout lies W of town). It dates from 1951. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Devil's Head Lookout is a U.S. Forest Service fire lookout tower at the summit of Devils Head in Douglas County, Colorado. Located on a large pinnacle of Pikes Peak granite, the fire lookout point lies within the Pike National Forest and is accessed by hiking the Devils Head National Recreation Trail. The station was first established in 1912, with the original tower built in 1919. In the summer of 1951, the old tower was dismantled and current structure was built. In 1991, Devil's Head Lookout was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Sitting at the highest point of Rampart Range, the fire lookout is the last remaining such structure to be in service along the Front Range of Colorado. The view from the current structure extends at least 100 miles in every direction on clear days.From the Wikipedia article “Devil's Head Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Devil's Head Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 25m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Devil's Head Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- 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 Devil's Head Lookout, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
State Park
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Rock Formation
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Devils Head Campground1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Flat Rocks Campground7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Ouzel10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Platte River10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Lone Rock Campground (Co)11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Devil's Head Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Devil's Head Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Devil's Head Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Devil's Head Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Devil's Head Lookout?
How far is Devil's Head Lookout from Perry Park?
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.