Kloshe Nanitch Lookout — a fire lookout in Clallam County, Washington — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) ENE of Forks.
Kloshe Nanitch Lookout was built in the 1920s as a look out to spot fires in the Lake Crescent area of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. The current structure is a replica of this structure, providing views of Lake Crescent, Mount Olympus (Washington), Lake Pleasant (Washington), and the Sol Duc Valley. It is located within the Olympic National Forest. The site has picnic tables, vault toilet and garbage facilities. There is no water available at the site. Motto: Kloshe Nanitch (Keep a good lookout or ever watch). In October 2012, the replica lookout was removed due to heavy vandalism and a lack of money to restore it. It was constructed in 1997 and many people believe that it wasn't very well built to begin with. Even though the structure has been removed, the area is maintained as a viewpoint.From the Wikipedia article “Kloshe Nanitch Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kloshe Nanitch 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 308° (NW) in June to 235° (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) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 52° NE | 9:21 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 126° SE | 4:26 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 21m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:19 PM | 10:00 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:29 PM | 7:00 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:24 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 23m |
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 Kloshe Nanitch Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:52 AM – 4:22 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:54 AM – 3:04 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:33 AM – 1:53 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:59 PM – 12:59 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 10:57 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 60% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 53 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 89 | 86 | 80 | 69 | 59 | 55 |
| Low °F | 13 | 19 | 24 | 31 | 35 | 42 | 46 | 46 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.9 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 7.3 | 11.0 | 9.8 |
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.
- 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 Kloshe Nanitch Lookout, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
LakeWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Klahowya Campground3.0 km (1.9 mi)
- Fairholme Campground12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Hoh Rainforest Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kloshe Nanitch Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Kloshe Nanitch Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kloshe Nanitch Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kloshe Nanitch Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kloshe Nanitch Lookout?
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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.