Located in Pierce County, Washington, Suntop Lookout is a fire lookout. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 35 km (22 mi) ESE of Enumclaw. It dates from 1933. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Suntop Lookout (also Sun Top) is located on Suntop Mountain in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in central Washington, USA. The fire lookout is at an elevation of about 5,270 feet (1,610 m) overlooking the valleys of the White River and Huckleberry Creek just to the north of Mount Rainier National Park. Built to standard U.S. Forest Service plans, the one-story ground-level lookout measures fourteen by fourteen feet. The frame structure is capped by a pyramidal roof, and features large windows on all four sides with pivoting shutters that act as sunshades. The Suntop lookout was built in either 1932 or 1933 to standard plans for an "L-4 Lookout House." It is one of two intact lookouts from the period in the former Snoqualmie National Forest. The lookout was used during World War II in the U.S. Army Aircraft Warning System. It is open to the public in summer months. The lookout...From the Wikipedia article “Suntop Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Suntop Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 53° NE | 9:06 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Suntop Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:34 AM – 3:04 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:59 PM – 2:09 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:34 PM – 1:04 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:00 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.23 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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
- 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.
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- 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
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 Suntop Lookout, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Dalles Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Silver Springs Campground7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- White River Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground (Washington)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Pleasant Valley Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Suntop Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Suntop Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Suntop Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Suntop Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Suntop Lookout?
How far is Suntop Lookout from Enumclaw?
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.