Located in Bennington County, Vermont, Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower is a fire lookout. It is part of Green Mountain National Forest. The nearest town is Jamaica, about 12.0 km (7.5 mi) away (Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower lies W of town). Its recorded tower height is about 55 m (180 ft). It dates from 1934. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:35 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:19 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.37 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grout Pond Campground5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Townshend Lake Recreation Area18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Hapgood Pond18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower?
How far is Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower from Jamaica?
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.