Lake Britton — a lake in Shasta County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Burney, about 15.6 km (9.7 mi) away (Lake Britton lies N of town).
Lake Britton is a reservoir located in Shasta County, California. It is known for its wide variety of bass and trout. Its main body is situated to the west of State Route 89, and is mostly surrounded by PG&E Land, Forest Service Land, and McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park. Along the north shore lies North Shore and Dusty Campgrounds. It is fed by the Pit River and has tributaries of Clark Creek, Burney Creek, and Hat Creek and is impounded by the Pit #3 Dam. A bridge, owned by the Great Shasta Rail Trail, which spans Lake Britton (just east of Hwy 89) was used for the railroad bridge scene in the 1986 film Stand By Me.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Britton”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Britton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Lake Britton, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Lake Britton, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Hot SpringHot Spring
VolcanoWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Britton?
What time is golden hour at Lake Britton?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Britton?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Britton?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Britton?
How far is Lake Britton from Burney?
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.