Chenocetah Fire Tower — a fire lookout in Habersham County, Georgia — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest. The nearest town is Mount Airy, about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) away (Chenocetah Fire Tower lies SSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 54 m (177 ft). It dates from 1938. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Chenocetah Fire Tower is a historic fire tower in the Chenocetah Mountains, Cornelia, Habersham County, Georgia, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 11, 1984. The tower was built in 1937 as part of a public works program by the Farm Security Administration's Resettlement Administration in effort to move and employ impoverished farmers. The purpose of the building was to allow fire fighters to spot fires in the Chattahoochee National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Chenocetah Fire Tower”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chenocetah Fire Tower 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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:23 AM | 61° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:28 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Chenocetah Fire Tower, 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 5 (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 | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 6:16 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:34 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 11:07 PM | 2.0 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.05 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
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 Chenocetah Fire Tower, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Beach
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Russell Recreation Area1.5 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Fern Springs Day Use Picnic Area8.0 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chenocetah Fire Tower?
What time is golden hour at Chenocetah Fire Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chenocetah Fire Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chenocetah Fire Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chenocetah Fire Tower?
How far is Chenocetah Fire Tower from Mount Airy?
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.