Located in Jackson County, Oregon, Dutchman Peak Lookout is a fire lookout. It is part of Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. The nearest town is Ashland, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Dutchman Peak Lookout lies SW of town). It dates from 1927. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dutchman Peak Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 57° ENE | 8:52 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 122° ESE | 4:44 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:19 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 08m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Dutchman Peak Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 29 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.5 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Dutchman Peak Lookout, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Hot SpringWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Acorn Woman Peak Lookout10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Sulphur Group Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Mckee Bridge Community Kitchen17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Jackson Campground On The Applegate River18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Flumet Flat Group Campground18.1 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dutchman Peak Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Dutchman Peak Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dutchman Peak Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dutchman Peak Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dutchman Peak Lookout?
How far is Dutchman Peak Lookout from Ashland?
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.