Catfish Fire Tower is a fire lookout in Warren County, New Jersey. It lies in or next to Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Hardwick, about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) away (Catfish Fire Tower lies WSW of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Catfish Fire Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:35 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Catfish Fire Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 7:52 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.98 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 September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 72 | 90 | 88 | 94 | 99 | 101 | 95 | 88 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -14 | -19 | -8 | 18 | 28 | 37 | 47 | 48 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Catfish Fire Tower, closest first.
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Alosa Campsites4.0 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Rivers Bend Group Campground5.4 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Valley View Group Campground7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Worthington State Forest Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Catfish Fire Tower?
What time is golden hour at Catfish Fire Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Catfish Fire Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Catfish Fire Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Catfish Fire Tower?
How far is Catfish Fire Tower from Hardwick?
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.