Located in Fresno County, California, Nüümü Hu Hupi is a lake at about 3,143 m (10,312 ft) above sea level. It is part of John Muir Wilderness. It sits roughly 19.6 km (12.2 mi) SSE of Mammoth Lakes.
Nüümü Hu Hupi (formerly Squaw Lake) is a small lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada, near the John Muir Trail in John Muir Wilderness. It is located 1.8 miles (2.9 km) west-northwest of Mount Izaak Walton and 5 miles (8.0 km) north-northeast of Lake Thomas A Edison. at an altitude of 10,315 feet (3,144 m). The outflow of Nüümü Hu Hupi becomes Fish Creek, which eventually joins the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River. The name was controversial because squaw is an ethnic and sexual slur, historically used for indigenous North American women. The name was changed by the United States Board of Geographic Names on September 8, 2022.From the Wikipedia article “Nüümü Hu Hupi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nüümü Hu Hupi 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:21 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Nüümü Hu Hupi, 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 24° 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:07 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Nüümü Hu Hupi, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Vermillion13.6 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Convict Lake Campground15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Mono Creek15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Coldwater Campground - Inyo Nf (Ca)15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Mcgee Creek15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nüümü Hu Hupi?
What time is golden hour at Nüümü Hu Hupi?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nüümü Hu Hupi?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nüümü Hu Hupi?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nüümü Hu Hupi?
How far is Nüümü Hu Hupi 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.