Sourdough Mountain Lookout is a fire lookout in Whatcom County, Washington. It lies in or next to North Cascades National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 87 km (54 mi) ENE of Sedro-Woolley. It dates from 1933. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sourdough Mountain Lookout is a fire lookout that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. Constructed atop Sourdough Mountain in North Cascades National Park, in the U.S. state of Washington, the lookout was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. An earlier lookout was erected at the site in 1917 but was torn down when the current lookout was constructed. The current structure was built atop a rock foundation and is 14.25 ft (4.34 m) by 14.25 ft (4.34 m) square. The walls are composed of shiplap siding and the structure is covered with a wood-shingled hip roof. Diagonally-braced plywood shutters could be swung open for observation in each direction. The structure is no longer used on a regular basis but is visited with some frequency by hikers and it is a 5 mi (8.0 km) hike to the cabin from the trailhead.From the Wikipedia article “Sourdough Mountain Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sourdough Mountain 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 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) | 5:02 AM | 52° NE | 9:12 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 126° SE | 4:11 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 43m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 16m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:52 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 46m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 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 Sourdough Mountain Lookout, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:54 AM – 4:04 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:51 AM – 2:41 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:52 PM – 2:32 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:00 AM – 12:40 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 10:30 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 ≈ 21.78 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
- 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.
- 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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sourdough Mountain Lookout, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gorge Lake Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Colonial Creek North Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Colonial Creek South Campground6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Newhalem Creek Campground13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Lower Goodell Group Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sourdough Mountain Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Sourdough Mountain Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sourdough Mountain Lookout?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Sourdough Mountain Lookout?
How far is Sourdough Mountain Lookout from Sedro-Woolley?
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.