Barrier-Free Lookout — a scenic viewpoint in Pinal County, Arizona — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.2 km (3.9 mi) WSW of Superior.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Barrier-Free Lookout the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter. OpenStreetMap records this view as facing SE (135°), which lines up with winter sunrises.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:29 AM | 90° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:38 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:14 AM | 89° E | 6:23 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:57 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Barrier-Free Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:04 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:19 PM – 3:29 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:15 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 7:56 PM – 9:56 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:15 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 20.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 81 | 82 | 93 | 98 | 107 | 114 | 112 | 110 | 109 | 101 | 91 | 79 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 64 | 50 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Barrier-Free Lookout, closest first.
State Park
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Barrier-Free Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Barrier-Free Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Barrier-Free Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Barrier-Free Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Barrier-Free Lookout?
How far is Barrier-Free Lookout from Superior?
Sources
Location data: OpenStreetMap contributors. 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.