Located in Chelan County, Washington, Miners Ridge Lookout is a fire lookout. It is part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest town is Darrington, about 43 km (27 mi) away (Miners Ridge Lookout lies E of town). It dates from 1938. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout near Darrington, Washington, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Miners Ridge 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) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:13 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 20m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:53 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:49 PM | 16h 03m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 41m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 22m |
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 Miners Ridge Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| 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 | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 2:45 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:30 AM – 1:30 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:51 PM – 12:41 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:46 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.65 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 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
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Miners Ridge Lookout, closest first.
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Glacier
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sulphur Creek Campground13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Suiattle Guard Station22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadows Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Buck Creek Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Nineteen Mile Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Miners Ridge Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Miners Ridge Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Miners Ridge Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Miners Ridge Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Miners Ridge Lookout?
How far is Miners Ridge Lookout from Darrington?
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.