Mormon Lake is a lake in Coconino County, Arizona at about 2,167 m (7,110 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Mountainaire, about 25 km (15 mi) away (Mormon Lake lies SE of town).
Mormon Lake is a shallow, intermittent lake located in northern Arizona in Pleasant Valley. With an average depth of only 10 ft (3.0 m), the surface area of the lake is extremely volatile and fluctuates seasonally. When full, the lake has a surface area of about 12 square miles (31 km2), making it the largest natural lake in Arizona. In particularly dry times, the lake has been known to dry up, leaving behind a remnant marsh. The surrounding area, which lies within Coconino National Forest, established in 1908, is part of the largest continuous stand of ponderosa pine in North America, often hosting campers and hikers. The lake itself is occasionally stocked with fish species such as bullhead catfish and northern pike, but due to its intermittent nature, it may contain few or no fish following dry seasons.From the Wikipedia article “Mormon Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mormon Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:30 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:44 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Mormon Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:22 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:29 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:24 PM – 1:54 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:49 PM – 11:49 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:16 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 70 | 79 | 85 | 94 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -14 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 36 | 48 | 48 | 33 | 19 | 13 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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.
- 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 Mormon Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dairy Springs2.9 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Double Springs3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Ashurst Lake9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Pinegrove9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Forked Pine Campground9.9 km (6.1 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mormon Lake?
What time is golden hour at Mormon Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mormon Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mormon Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mormon Lake?
How far is Mormon Lake from Mountainaire?
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.