Chambers Lake is a lake in Larimer County, Colorado at about 2,791 m (9,157 ft) above sea level. It is part of Roosevelt National Forest. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) NW of Estes Park.
Chambers Lake is a reservoir in the Roosevelt National Forest in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The reservoir supplies water for irrigation and municipal water supply.From the Wikipedia article “Chambers Lake (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chambers Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Chambers Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 7:55 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 46 | 48 | 65 | 71 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -26 | -31 | -15 | -3 | 5 | 27 | 36 | 31 | 19 | -4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chambers Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Lake
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
State Park
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chambers Lake1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Sleeping Elephant Campground11.0 km (6.9 mi)
- Long Draw Campground12.3 km (7.6 mi)
- Grandview Campground13.1 km (8.1 mi)
- Aspen Campground18.1 km (11.2 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chambers Lake?
What time is golden hour at Chambers Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chambers Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chambers Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chambers Lake?
How far is Chambers Lake from Estes Park?
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.