Hidden Lake — a lake in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 86 m (282 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Funny River, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Hidden Lake lies E of town).
Hidden Lake is a lake on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, formed by an ancient channel of the Kenai River. It is located entirely inside the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The lake is deepest at its southeast end, with depths up to 148 feet (45 m). The back country section of the lake in the northwest has several islands and depths in the range of 10–70 feet (3.0–21.3 m). Being in the foothills of the Kenai Mountains, much of the shoreline is very steep, and wooded with birch and spruce trees. The only outflow from the lake is Hidden Creek, a short, shallow creek that flows into the Kenai River just North of Skilak Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Hidden Lake (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hidden Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 34° (NE) at the June solstice and 142° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 327° (NNW) in June to 219° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:03 AM | 89° E | 8:16 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:32 AM | 34° NE | 11:35 PM | 327° NNW | 53° | 19h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:46 AM | 88° E | 8:03 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:09 AM | 142° SE | 3:51 PM | 219° SW | 6° | 5h 43m |
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 | 8:59 AM | 9:53 AM | 11:32 AM | 2:50 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:23 PM | 6h 36m |
| February | 7:57 AM | 8:41 AM | 9:47 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:35 PM | 9h 09m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:15 AM | 7:07 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:20 PM | 10:08 PM | 14h 38m |
| May | 4:14 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:29 AM | 9:28 PM | 10:37 PM | 11:43 PM | 17h 16m |
| June | 2:31 AM | 4:32 AM | 5:54 AM | 10:11 PM | 11:32 PM | 1:34 AM | 19h 00m |
| July | 3:38 AM | 5:01 AM | 6:16 AM | 9:59 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:37 AM | 18h 13m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:58 PM | 10:51 PM | 15h 44m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:08 PM | 12h 55m |
| October | 8:00 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:43 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:35 PM | 10h 10m |
| November | 8:13 AM | 9:03 AM | 10:25 AM | 3:08 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:20 PM | 7h 27m |
| December | 9:05 AM | 10:04 AM | 12:26 PM | 1:28 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:49 PM | 5h 46m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ 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 70% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 37 | 39 | 50 | 64 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 82 | 69 | 59 | 47 | 42 |
| Low °F | -23 | -21 | -9 | -4 | 22 | 35 | 40 | 38 | 27 | 2 | -10 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
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 lake
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Hidden Lake, closest first.
Lake
WaterfallWaterfall
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hidden Lake Campground4.8 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Russian River15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Barber Cabin (Chugach National Forest, Ak)16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Flats Cabin (Chugach National Forest, Ak)20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Creek South21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hidden Lake?
What time is golden hour at Hidden Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hidden Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hidden Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hidden Lake?
How far is Hidden Lake from Funny River?
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.