Mount Toby Fire Tower is a fire lookout in Franklin County, Massachusetts. It is part of Mount Toby State Forest. The nearest town is Leverett, about 5.0 km (3.1 mi) away (Mount Toby Fire Tower lies NW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Toby Fire Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 57° ENE | 8:32 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Mount Toby Fire Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:34 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.03 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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.
- 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 Mount Toby Fire Tower, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain Peak
State Park
Covered Bridge
State Park
Waterfall
Covered BridgeWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Toby Fire Tower?
What time is golden hour at Mount Toby Fire Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Toby Fire Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Toby Fire Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Toby Fire Tower?
How far is Mount Toby Fire Tower from Leverett?
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.