Mount Pilchuck Lookout is a fire lookout in Snohomish County, Washington. It is part of Mount Pilchuck State Park. It sits roughly 13.0 km (8.1 mi) ESE of Granite Falls.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Pilchuck Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (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 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:11 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 126° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 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 Mount Pilchuck 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 3:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 2:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:24 AM – 1:44 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:50 PM – 12:50 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 10:48 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.74 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
- 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.
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 Pilchuck Lookout, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Lake
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Verlot Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Tulalip Mill Site Group Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Turlo Campground4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Gold Basin Campground4.9 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Wiley Creek Group Camp6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Pilchuck Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Mount Pilchuck Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Pilchuck Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Pilchuck Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Pilchuck Lookout?
How far is Mount Pilchuck Lookout from Granite Falls?
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.