Copper Mountain Fire Lookout — a fire lookout in Whatcom County, Washington — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to North Cascades National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Peaceful Valley, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Copper Mountain Fire Lookout lies E of town). It dates from 1934. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Copper Mountain Fire Lookout was built in 1934 in what was then the Glacier Ranger district of Mount Baker National Forest. The cabin-like wood frame lookout is a frame cabin with large windows on each side protected by an awning-style shutter. A shingled gable roof with prominent lightning rods covers the cabin. The lookout measures 14.25 feet (4.34 m) by 14.25 feet (4.34 m) square. During the winter of 1943 the lookout was staffed by the Aircraft Warning Service and used to watch for enemy aircraft. It is one of three lookouts remaining in North Cascades National Park from the Forest Service administration. The Copper Mountain Fire Lookout was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1989.From the Wikipedia article “Copper Mountain Fire Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Copper Mountain Fire Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 52° NE | 9:14 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 126° SE | 4:12 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:52 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Copper Mountain Fire Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:57 AM – 4:07 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:06 AM – 2:46 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:26 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:07 AM – 12:37 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:34 PM – 10:34 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). August 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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.
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 Copper Mountain Fire Lookout, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Glacier
Mountain Peak
GlacierMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Fir Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Shannon Creek Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Park Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Swift Creek Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Panorama Point Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Copper Mountain Fire Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Copper Mountain Fire Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Copper Mountain Fire Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Copper Mountain Fire Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Copper Mountain Fire Lookout?
How far is Copper Mountain Fire Lookout from Peaceful Valley?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. 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.