Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower is a fire lookout in Custer County, South Dakota. It lies in or next to Wind Cave National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Custer, about 18.3 km (11.4 mi) away (Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower lies SSE of town). It dates from 1956.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:40 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 123° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 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 | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 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 Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:24 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 69 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 106 | 108 | 104 | 101 | 89 | 76 | 64 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -9 | 8 | 20 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 28 | 2 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
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.
- 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.
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 Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Fire Lookout
State Park
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Elk Mountain Campground6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Bismark Lake17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Cold Brook Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Iron Creek Horse Camp21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Comanche Park22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower?
How far is Rankin Ridge Lookout Tower from Custer?
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.