Finding the perfect sunset spot in Arizona is not easy simply because there are so many different options. Another factor to consider is that you might have to deal with crowds at certain places. But at this one lookout, crowds should not be an issue because it is a lesser known place and more removed from the highly populated areas near Tucson. Here’s what you need to know about the Helvetia Lookout.
Where is the Helvetia Lookout?
The Helvetia Lookout is located south east of Tucson, Arizona, about 37 minutes away and about 20 minutes south of Interstate 10 and right along AZ Highway 83.
It’s a small gravel turn out and heading south I did not see any signs for it so it can be easily missed and will require you to keep an eye on your GPS.
Here’s a look at the view point area.
Helvetia Lookout views
The views from the lookout point are pretty great and they lookout to the Santa Rita mountains/foothills.
The actual viewpoint sits at about 5,000 feet in elevation so the terrain here is a little bit different from what you would find nearby in terms of vegetation.
For example, you will not see saguaro cactuses and although you may find some other types of cacti like prickly pear, the hillsides are pretty different. The scenery really reminded me of California in a lot of ways.
You will be able to appreciate views looking northwest.
I would recommend hopping over the road barricade in order to get some of the best compositions since the barricade may get in the way. There will be a barbed wire fence there but you can use that in your framing.
You will also enjoy the views across the road to the east, where catching a sunrise could potentially also be a great experience. The winding mountain road makes for a great foreground to any photos.
We were fortunate enough to visit this location on one of those dazzling Arizona sunset evenings where the sky just exploded with color. It was truly one of the more memorable sunsets that I have seen.
The mountain peaks to the west do block where the sun sets on the horizon but as you can tell in the photo below, that color can often sweep across the sky and still make for a fantastic views and photographs.
Final word
Overall, I think this is a great spot for sunsets because many people do not even know about it and the views are pretty great, especially with the right sunset happening.