Tenaya Lake is a lake in Mariposa County, California at about 2,482 m (8,143 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Yosemite National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 14.5 km (9.0 mi) away (Tenaya Lake lies NE of town).
Tenaya Lake is an alpine lake in Yosemite National Park, located between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. The surface of Tenaya Lake has an elevation of 8,150 feet (2,484 m). The lake basin was formed by glacial action, which left a backdrop of light granite rocks, whose beauty was known to the Native Americans. Today, Tenaya Lake is easily accessible by State Route 120 and is a popular lake for water activities.From the Wikipedia article “Tenaya Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tenaya 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) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 59° ENE | 8:24 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 120° ESE | 4:43 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Tenaya 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 | 4:56 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:09 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Tenaya Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Lake
Mountain Peak
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tuolumne Meadows Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Porcupine Flat Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Yosemite Creek Campground12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- North Pines Campground13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Lower Pines Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tenaya Lake?
What time is golden hour at Tenaya Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tenaya Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tenaya Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tenaya Lake?
How far is Tenaya Lake from Yosemite Valley?
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.