Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower — a fire lookout in Johnson County, Tennessee — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Cherokee National Forest. The nearest town is Mountain City, about 7.7 km (4.8 mi) away (Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower lies SW of town). It dates from 1948. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:11 AM | 60° ENE | 8:49 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:16 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:45 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:43 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:48 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 79 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 96 | 99 | 94 | 92 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -4 | -5 | 0 | 21 | 30 | 39 | 50 | 46 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
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 Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Backbone Rock Campground19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Jacobs Creek Campground (Tn)19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Little Oak Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Watauga Point Recreation Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower?
How far is Kettlefoot Fire Lookout Tower from Mountain 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.