Lake Piru is a lake in Ventura County, California. It is part of Los Padres National Forest. The nearest town is Piru, about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) away (Lake Piru lies NNE of town).
Lake Piru ( ) is a reservoir located in Los Padres National Forest and Topatopa Mountains of Ventura County, California, created by the construction in 1955 (1955) of the Santa Felicia Dam on Piru Creek, which is a tributary of the Santa Clara River. The reservoir is widely known for celebrity incidents: in 1999, actor Harrison Ford crashed his helicopter by the lake, and in 2020, actress Naya Rivera died by drowning. Several other people have drowned in the lake as well.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Piru”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Piru 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 61° ENE | 8:11 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Piru, 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 5 (suburban 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:09 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:56 PM – 3:56 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:51 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:16 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:25 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.61 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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 Lake Piru, closest first.
Canyon
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Ghost Town
Canyon
Lake
Canyon
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pyramid Lake - Los Alamos Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Pyramid Lake - Emigrant Landing Day Use Area19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Zuni Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Piru?
What time is golden hour at Lake Piru?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Piru?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Piru?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Piru?
How far is Lake Piru from Piru?
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.