Indian Mountain Lookout is a fire lookout in Adams County, Idaho. It is part of Payette National Forest. The nearest town is McCall, about 37 km (23 mi) away (Indian Mountain Lookout lies SSW of town). It dates from 1933. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout in Idaho”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Indian Mountain Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:49 AM | 90° E | 7:58 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 55° NE | 9:34 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 123° ESE | 5:08 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:47 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:05 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:10 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:41 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:04 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:40 PM | 8h 50m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Indian Mountain Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:39 AM – 6:19 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:36 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:43 AM – 4:03 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:01 AM – 3:31 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:46 PM – 2:06 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:37 PM – 10:07 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 42 | 51 | 65 | 77 | 88 | 102 | 102 | 99 | 95 | 85 | 65 | 47 |
| Low °F | -18 | -10 | -2 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 38 | 36 | 27 | 12 | -10 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
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.
- 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 Indian Mountain Lookout, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cabin Creek6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Big Flat10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- French Creek13.6 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Amanita14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Rainbow Point15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Indian Mountain Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Indian Mountain Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Indian Mountain Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Indian Mountain Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Indian Mountain Lookout?
How far is Indian Mountain Lookout from McCall?
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.