Pyramid Lake — a lake in Los Angeles County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Angeles National Forest. It sits roughly 22 km (13 mi) NW of Castaic.
Pyramid Lake is a reservoir formed by Pyramid Dam on Piru Creek in the western Sierra Pelona Mountains, near Castaic, Southern California. It is a part of the West Branch California Aqueduct, which is a part of the California State Water Project. Its water is fed by the system after being pumped up from the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Pyramid Lake (Los Angeles County, California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pyramid Lake 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) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:12 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| 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 50m |
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 | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 57m |
| 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 | 6:54 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:33 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 28m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Pyramid Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 1:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:10 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:27 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 10:19 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 | — | -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: 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 ≈ 20.31 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 Pyramid Lake, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Lake
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pyramid Lake - Los Alamos Campground690 m · reservable
- Pyramid Lake - Emigrant Landing Day Use Area690 m · reservable
- Sawmill Campground18.7 km (11.6 mi)
- Upper Shake Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Chuchupate Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pyramid Lake?
What time is golden hour at Pyramid Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pyramid Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pyramid Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pyramid Lake?
How far is Pyramid Lake from Castaic?
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.