Thousand Island Lake is a lake in Madera County, California at about 2,999 m (9,839 ft) above sea level. It is part of Ansel Adams Wilderness. It sits roughly 20 km (12 mi) WNW of Mammoth Lakes.
Thousand Island Lake is a large alpine lake in the Sierra Nevada, within the Ansel Adams Wilderness in eastern Madera County, California. The lake is named for the many small rocky islands that dot its surface. Theodore Solomons probably established the 'Thousand Island' name, as this appears on his 1896 map. John Muir called it by "Islet Lake."From the Wikipedia article “Thousand Island Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thousand Island 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 | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| 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 | 7:24 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:43 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 | 8:00 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:18 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 46m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 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 | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:06 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 | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 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 Thousand Island 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 ≈ 21.72 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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Thousand Island Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWilderness Area
Lake
Lake
Mountain Pass
Glacier
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Agnew Meadows Group Camp9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Agnew Horse Camp9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Reversed Creek Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Gull Lake Campground10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thousand Island Lake?
What time is golden hour at Thousand Island Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thousand Island Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thousand Island Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thousand Island Lake?
How far is Thousand Island 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.