Bearwallow Lookout — a fire lookout in Catron County, New Mexico — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Gila National Forest. The nearest town is Silver City, about 84 km (52 mi) away (Bearwallow Lookout lies NNW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bearwallow Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:06 AM | 61° ENE | 8:28 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 118° ESE | 5:12 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Bearwallow Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 5:56 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 4:35 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:53 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:47 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 76 | 82 | 94 | 98 | 100 | 95 | 92 | 84 | 74 | 67 |
| Low °F | -10 | -4 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 37 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 18 | 12 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Bearwallow Lookout, closest first.
National Forest
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Fire Lookout
Dark Sky PlaceFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bearwallow Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Bearwallow Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bearwallow Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bearwallow Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bearwallow Lookout?
How far is Bearwallow Lookout from Silver City?
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.