Hornet Lookout — a fire lookout in Flathead County, Montana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Flathead National Forest. It sits roughly 40 km (25 mi) E of Eureka. It dates from 1922. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hornet Lookout is a former fire lookout tower located in the Flathead National Forest and is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) north of Columbia Falls, Montana. On August 19, 1983, Hornet Lookout was added to the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Hornet Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hornet Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 89° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 52° NE | 9:46 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:30 AM | 126° SE | 4:44 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:51 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:19 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:32 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 16m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:54 PM | 9:44 PM | 10:27 PM | 16h 09m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:50 PM | 9:38 PM | 10:18 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:22 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:21 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Hornet Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 4:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:38 AM – 3:18 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:28 AM – 2:58 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:39 AM – 1:09 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:06 PM – 11:06 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 43 | 47 | 65 | 73 | 82 | 96 | 98 | 99 | 90 | 78 | 57 | 40 |
| Low °F | -32 | -38 | -29 | -7 | 20 | 24 | 35 | 35 | 22 | 2 | -29 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
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 Hornet Lookout, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hornet Lookout227 m · reservable
- Ninko Cabin6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Wurtz Cabin8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Ford Cabin10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Schnaus Cabin12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hornet Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Hornet Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hornet Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hornet Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hornet Lookout?
How far is Hornet Lookout from Eureka?
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.