Ruidoso Lookout Tower — a fire lookout in Lincoln County, New Mexico — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Lincoln National Forest. The nearest town is Ruidoso, about 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away (Ruidoso Lookout Tower lies E of town). Its recorded tower height is about 30 m (98 ft). It dates from 1940. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ruidoso Lookout Tower was completed in 1940 by the U.S. Forest Service to serve as a fire lookout tower within Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Ruidoso Lookout Tower”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ruidoso Lookout Tower 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) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 61° ENE | 8:16 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 118° ESE | 5:00 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:13 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 58m |
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 Ruidoso Lookout Tower, 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 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:42 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 4:07 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.8 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.06 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 71 | 81 | 87 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 93 | 87 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | 9 | -6 | 11 | 22 | 26 | 42 | 51 | 49 | 36 | 15 | 15 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- 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 Ruidoso Lookout Tower, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Cave
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cedar Creek (Sam Tobias)3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Rob Jagger'S Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ruidoso Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Ruidoso Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ruidoso Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ruidoso Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ruidoso Lookout Tower?
How far is Ruidoso Lookout Tower from Ruidoso?
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.