Galbraith Lake is a lake in North Slope Borough, Alaska at about 799 m (2,621 ft) above sea level.
Galbraith Lake is a lake located in the North Slope Borough of Alaska, United States. The surrounding area is uninhabited except for seasonal residents. The lake is located on the west side of the Dalton Highway between miles 272-75 of the highway. The lake is approximately 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long and was formed by glaciers, and is known to contain lake trout, burbot and grayling fish, with some reports of Arctic char. A campground is also located near the lake. The lake was named in 1951 after Bart Galbraith, a bush pilot who died in a 1950 plane crash while flying from Barter Island to Barrow. Galbraith Lake Airport is located in the area, as well as Pump Station 4 of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. A work camp was located at Galbraith Lake during the construction of the pipeline. An oil spill near the camp in 1975 caused some oil to enter the lake and a slick to appear on...From the Wikipedia article “Galbraith Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At this latitude the sun does not rise or set on some days of the year, so check the monthly table below for daylight and twilight.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:57 AM | 88° E | 8:14 PM | 272° W | 21° | 12h 17m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 45° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 87° E | 8:02 PM | 273° W | 22° | 12h 23m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | — | — | — | — | -2° | — |
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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:56 AM | 11:44 AM | — | — | 2:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 2h 48m |
| February | 8:16 AM | 9:19 AM | 11:09 AM | 3:17 PM | 5:06 PM | 6:09 PM | 7h 47m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:35 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:52 PM | 11h 37m |
| April | 4:51 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:53 PM | 11:06 PM | 15h 50m |
| May | — | 3:33 AM | 5:37 AM | 10:13 PM | 12:17 AM | — | 20h 45m |
| June | — | — | 4:33 AM | 11:25 PM | — | — | — |
| July | — | — | 5:09 AM | 10:59 PM | — | — | — |
| August | 3:33 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 9:22 PM | 10:52 PM | 12:33 AM | 17h 37m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:32 PM | 13h 18m |
| October | 8:06 AM | 9:04 AM | 10:33 AM | 4:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 7:22 PM | 9h 19m |
| November | 8:57 AM | 10:19 AM | — | — | 3:08 PM | 4:30 PM | 4h 49m |
| December | 10:19 AM | — | — | — | — | 3:29 PM | — |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| April | No darkness | — | — | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -16° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (78%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 30 | 29 | 34 | 40 | 62 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 53 | 43 | 30 | 34 |
| Low °F | -53 | -43 | -55 | -34 | -21 | 14 | 21 | 16 | -3 | -18 | -38 | -46 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
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 lake
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Galbraith Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Galbraith Lake?
What time is golden hour at Galbraith Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Galbraith Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Galbraith Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Galbraith Lake?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.