High Knob Fire Tower — a fire lookout in Rockingham County, Virginia — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of George Washington National Forest. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) WNW of Belmont Estates. It dates from 1940.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At High Knob Fire Tower the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 59° ENE | 8:45 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 120° ESE | 5:00 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 29m |
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 High Knob Fire Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.55 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 September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 82 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 75 | 74 |
| Low °F | -8 | -5 | -8 | 20 | 24 | 35 | 46 | 44 | 35 | 22 | 10 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of High Knob Fire Tower, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
National Forest
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Brandywine Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Hone Quarry Campground12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Todd Lake Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph High Knob Fire Tower?
What time is golden hour at High Knob Fire Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at High Knob Fire Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from High Knob Fire Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at High Knob Fire Tower?
How far is High Knob Fire Tower from Belmont Estates?
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.