Elk Glen Lake is a lake in City and County of San Francisco, California at about 53 m (174 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Parkside, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Elk Glen Lake lies N of town).
Golden Gate Park is an urban park between the Richmond and Sunset districts on the West Side of San Francisco, California, United States. It is the largest urban park in the city, containing 1,017 acres (412 ha), and the third-most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 24 million visitors annually. Part of the natural area is old-growth forest and recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network. The creation of a large park in San Francisco was first proposed in the 1860s. In 1865, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted proposed a park designed with species native to San Francisco. That plan was rejected in favor of a Central Park-style park designed by engineer William Hammond Hall. The park was built atop shore and sand dunes in an unincorporated area known as the Outside Lands. Construction centered on planting trees and non-native grasses to stabilize the...From the Wikipedia article “Golden Gate Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Elk Glen Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 59° ENE | 8:36 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:55 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 34m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Elk Glen Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.22 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (59%). September 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 | 67 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 88 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 84 | 78 | 65 |
| Low °F | 36 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 47 | 39 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 4.4 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Elk Glen Lake, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Lake
Botanical Garden
BeachBeach
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rob Hill Group Campground3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Aquatic Park Cove, Black Point Overnight Anchoring, Sailing Vessels Only (Auxiliary Engine Ok)6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Bicentennial Campground8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Kirby Cove Campground8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Hawk Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Elk Glen Lake?
What time is golden hour at Elk Glen Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Elk Glen Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Elk Glen Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Elk Glen Lake?
How far is Elk Glen Lake from Parkside?
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.