Folsom Lake is a lake in El Dorado County, California. It sits roughly 5.4 km (3.4 mi) SSE of Granite Bay.
Folsom Lake is a reservoir on the American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, United States. Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, which encompasses the lake, is one of the most visited parks in the California park system. Located within Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties, it is about 25 mi (40 km) northeast of Sacramento. The lake surface area is 11,500 acres (4,700 ha), its elevation is 466 ft (142 m), and it has 75 mi (121 km) of undulated shoreline.From the Wikipedia article “Folsom Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Folsom 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:47 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Folsom Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.83 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 77 | 77 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 112 | 116 | 112 | 115 | 107 | 87 | 76 |
| Low °F | 24 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 38 | 45 | 51 | 52 | 47 | 40 | 26 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Folsom Lake, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Folsom Lake?
What time is golden hour at Folsom Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Folsom Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Folsom Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Folsom Lake?
How far is Folsom Lake from Granite Bay?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.