Located in North Slope Borough, Alaska, Toolik Lake is a lake at about 719 m (2,359 ft) above sea level.
Toolik Lake is an Arctic lake located within the North Slope Borough, Alaska. It is in a remote wilderness area managed by the Bureau of Land Management accessed by the Dalton Highway. It is 130 mi (210 km) south of Prudhoe Bay in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range. The name is derived from the Iñupiat word tutlik, meaning yellow-billed loon. Limnological studies of Toolik Lake began in the summer of 1975. Research is performed by organizations such as the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network, Institute of Arctic Biology, International Tundra Experiment, National Ecological Observatory Network, and NASA. Nearly one-third of all Arctic research takes place within 50 km of either Toolik Lake or Abisko Scientific Research Station.From the Wikipedia article “Toolik 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) | 7:58 AM | 88° E | 8:15 PM | 272° W | 21° | 12h 17m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 45° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:41 AM | 87° E | 8:03 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 | 9:59 AM | 11:50 AM | — | — | 2:27 PM | 4:18 PM | 2h 37m |
| February | 8:18 AM | 9:21 AM | 11:13 AM | 3:14 PM | 5:06 PM | 6:09 PM | 7h 44m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:37 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:53 PM | 11h 37m |
| April | 4:50 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:55 PM | 11:08 PM | 15h 52m |
| May | — | 3:29 AM | 5:36 AM | 10:16 PM | 12:23 AM | — | 20h 54m |
| June | — | — | 4:31 AM | 11:28 PM | — | — | — |
| July | — | — | 5:08 AM | 11:02 PM | — | — | — |
| August | 3:29 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:54 PM | 12:38 AM | 17h 41m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:33 PM | 13h 19m |
| October | 8:07 AM | 9:06 AM | 10:35 AM | 4:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 7:23 PM | 9h 18m |
| November | 8:59 AM | 10:22 AM | — | — | 3:06 PM | 4:29 PM | 4h 43m |
| December | 10:22 AM | — | — | — | — | 3:27 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 | — | -16° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| April | No darkness | — | — | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -23° | — |
| 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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Toolik Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Toolik Lake?
What time is golden hour at Toolik Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Toolik Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Toolik Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Toolik 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.