Mount Constitution Lookout Tower is a fire lookout in San Juan County, Washington. It is part of Moran State Park. The nearest town is Friday Harbor, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Mount Constitution Lookout Tower lies NE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 53 m (174 ft). It dates from 1935.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Constitution Lookout Tower 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 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) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 52° NE | 9:18 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 126° SE | 4:18 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:51 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:59 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:53 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Mount Constitution Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:01 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:58 AM – 2:48 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:59 PM – 2:39 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:07 AM – 12:47 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 10:37 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.38 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 44% 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 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Constitution Lookout Tower, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Lighthouse
State ParkLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Constitution Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at Mount Constitution Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Constitution Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Constitution Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Constitution Lookout Tower?
How far is Mount Constitution Lookout Tower from Friday Harbor?
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.