Desolation Peak Lookout is a fire lookout in Whatcom County, Washington. It is part of Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The nearest town is Sudden Valley, about 100 km (62 mi) away (Desolation Peak Lookout lies ENE of town). It dates from 1932. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Desolation Peak 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) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 52° NE | 9:12 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 126° SE | 4:10 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:18 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:53 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:37 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:25 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:13 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 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 Desolation Peak 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 | 3:55 AM – 4:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:04 AM – 2:44 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:24 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:05 AM – 12:35 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 10:32 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 ≈ 21.82 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Desolation Peak Lookout, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
GlacierMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakFire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hozomeen Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi)
- Gorge Lake Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Colonial Creek North Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Colonial Creek South Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Desolation Peak Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Desolation Peak Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Desolation Peak Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Desolation Peak Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Desolation Peak Lookout?
How far is Desolation Peak Lookout from Sudden Valley?
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.