Located in Greenlee County, Arizona, P S Knoll Lookout Tower is a scenic viewpoint at about 2,449 m (8,035 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Eagar, about 41 km (25 mi) away (P S Knoll Lookout Tower lies SSW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At P S Knoll Lookout Tower 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.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:22 AM | 90° E | 6:30 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 61° ENE | 7:32 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:06 AM | 89° E | 6:16 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 118° ESE | 5:14 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 5:37 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:35 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 5:58 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:10 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 55m |
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 P S Knoll Lookout Tower, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:07 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:09 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:15 PM – 3:15 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:11 PM – 1:51 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:37 PM – 11:47 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 9:50 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:08 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.7 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 97 | 101 | 103 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -13 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 35 | 21 | 14 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
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
- 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 P S Knoll Lookout Tower, closest first.
Lake
National Forest
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Caldwell Cabin2.8 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Buffalo Crossing Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi)
- Apache Trout Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Cutthroat13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Grayling13.3 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph P S Knoll Lookout Tower?
What time is golden hour at P S Knoll Lookout Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at P S Knoll Lookout Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from P S Knoll Lookout Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at P S Knoll Lookout Tower?
How far is P S Knoll Lookout Tower from Eagar?
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.