James T. Saban Lookout — a fire lookout in Big Horn County, Wyoming — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Bighorn National Forest. It sits roughly 46 km (28 mi) WSW of Buffalo. It dates from 1942. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The James T. Saban Lookout, also known as the High Park Lookout, is a fire lookout tower located in Bighorn National Forest near Ten Sleep, Wyoming in Washakie County, Wyoming. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.From the Wikipedia article “James T. Saban Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At James T. Saban Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 56° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 123° ESE | 4:34 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 James T. Saban Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:02 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:35 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 2:52 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:07 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 40% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). July 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 | 39 | 42 | 58 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 90 | 82 | 73 | 57 | 42 |
| Low °F | -34 | -32 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 11 | -15 | -21 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 James T. Saban Lookout, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lakeview Bighorn3.3 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Sitting Bull3.8 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Park Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Willow Park4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Island Park Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph James T. Saban Lookout?
What time is golden hour at James T. Saban Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at James T. Saban Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from James T. Saban Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at James T. Saban Lookout?
How far is James T. Saban Lookout from Buffalo?
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.