Portage Lake is a lake in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. It is part of Chugach National Forest. The nearest town is Girdwood, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Portage Lake lies SE of town).
Portage Lake is a glacial lake in the Chugach National Forest of the U.S. state of Alaska. It sits in a long, heavily glaciated valley, and abuts the calving face of Portage Glacier at its southern end. The lake has only become visible since approximately 1914, with the rapid retreat of Portage Glacier.From the Wikipedia article “Portage Lake (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Portage Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 33° (NNE) at the June solstice and 142° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 327° (NNW) in June to 218° (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) | 7:57 AM | 89° E | 8:10 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:23 AM | 33° NNE | 11:33 PM | 327° NNW | 53° | 19h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 88° E | 7:57 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:06 AM | 142° SE | 3:43 PM | 218° SW | 6° | 5h 37m |
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 | 8:55 AM | 9:50 AM | 11:32 AM | 2:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 5:16 PM | 6h 32m |
| February | 7:52 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:43 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:29 PM | 9h 07m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:09 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:16 PM | 10:03 PM | 14h 39m |
| May | 4:04 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:22 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:41 PM | 17h 21m |
| June | — | 4:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:30 PM | — | 19h 07m |
| July | 3:26 AM | 4:52 AM | 6:09 AM | 9:55 PM | 11:11 PM | 12:38 AM | 18h 19m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:47 PM | 15h 47m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:19 PM | 9:03 PM | 12h 56m |
| October | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:38 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:29 PM | 10h 09m |
| November | 8:09 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:23 AM | 2:58 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:13 PM | 7h 23m |
| December | 9:01 AM | 10:01 AM | — | — | 3:42 PM | 4:42 PM | 5h 41m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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 69% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 46 | 53 | 75 | 75 | 72 | 61 | 49 | 42 | 37 |
| Low °F | -17 | -12 | -19 | 0 | 15 | 31 | 36 | 34 | 27 | 2 | -12 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.1 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 12.8 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 11.8 |
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 Portage Lake, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
GlacierScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Williwaw Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Black Bear Campground4.2 km (2.6 mi)
- Black Bear Campground4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Spencer Bench Cabin12.5 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop Group Campground14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Portage Lake?
What time is golden hour at Portage Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Portage Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Portage Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Portage Lake?
How far is Portage Lake from Girdwood?
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.