Hulsey Lake — a lake in Apache County, Arizona at about 2,617 m (8,586 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) SSE of Eagar.
Hulsey Lake is a lake near Escudilla Mountain in the Apache National Forest, Arizona. It is located at 8,620 feet (2,630 m) on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. It is an impoundment of Hulsey Creek, a tributary of Nutrioso Creek. Due to snow and ice, the lake is usually inaccessible from November to mid-April.From the Wikipedia article “Hulsey Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hulsey Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:21 AM | 90° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 61° ENE | 7:32 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:05 AM | 89° E | 6:15 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 118° ESE | 5:12 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:21 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:13 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 5:36 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:34 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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
From Hulsey Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:08 AM – 4:58 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:06 AM – 4:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:09 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:15 PM – 3:15 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:11 PM – 1:51 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:37 PM – 11:47 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 9:50 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:07 PM – 7:47 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 97 | 101 | 103 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -13 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 35 | 21 | 14 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Hulsey Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Luna Lake13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Rainbow (Az)23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Buffalo Crossing Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Brookchar24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Grayling24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hulsey Lake?
What time is golden hour at Hulsey Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hulsey Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hulsey Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hulsey Lake?
How far is Hulsey Lake from Eagar?
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.