Minaret Lake — a lake in Madera County, California at about 2,987 m (9,800 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Devils Postpile National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, about 16.4 km (10.2 mi) away (Minaret Lake lies W of town).
Minaret Lake is a lake in the Ritter Range, a subrange of the Sierra Nevada, in California. It is located in extreme northeastern Madera County, within the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest. Minaret Lake is notable for being on the Sierra High Route. It is near the fatal 2007 airplane crash site of Steve Fossett (Fossett's plane crashed north of the lake, near the Minaret Mine on Volcanic Ridge).From the Wikipedia article “Minaret Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Minaret 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) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:22 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 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 | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Minaret 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:08 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: 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Minaret Lake, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallLakeMountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Agnew Meadows Group Camp6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Agnew Horse Camp6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Pumice Flat Group Camp7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Reversed Creek Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Minaret Lake?
What time is golden hour at Minaret Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Minaret Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Minaret Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Minaret Lake?
How far is Minaret Lake from Mammoth Lakes?
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.