Located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout is a fire lookout. It sits roughly 7.1 km (4.4 mi) SSE of Idaho Springs.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire 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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:04 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 ≈ 20.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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
- 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.
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout, closest first.
Lake
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Lake
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout234 m · reservable
- Echo Lake9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- West Chicago Creek13.9 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Columbine Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Cold Springs - Arapaho Roosevelt Nf (Co)17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout?
How far is Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout from Idaho Springs?
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.