West Fork Butte Lookout — a fire lookout in Missoula County, Montana — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Lolo National Forest. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) W of Lolo. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Fork Butte Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 54° NE | 9:36 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 125° SE | 4:53 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:08 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:13 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:23 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:08 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 34m |
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 West Fork Butte Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:58 AM – 4:48 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:26 AM – 2:46 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:03 AM – 1:43 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:51 PM – 11:41 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:36 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 65 | 71 | 81 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 89 | 80 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -26 | -36 | -25 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 20 | -11 | -14 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 West Fork Butte Lookout, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- West Fork Butte Lookout1.2 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Charles Waters Campground28 km (17 mi)
- Larry Creek Group Camp28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Fork Butte Lookout?
What time is golden hour at West Fork Butte Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Fork Butte Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Fork Butte Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Fork Butte Lookout?
How far is West Fork Butte Lookout from Lolo?
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.