Independence Lake — a lake in Pitkin County, Colorado at about 3,809 m (12,497 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Aspen, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Independence Lake lies ESE of town).
Independence Lake is an alpine lake in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States, located high in the Sawatch Range in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness of White River National Forest. It is the source of the Roaring Fork River and is located south and over a pass from Lost Man Lake and north of Twining Peak. The lake is accessible via a trail from State Highway 82 west of Independence Pass.From the Wikipedia article “Independence Lake (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Independence 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Independence Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Independence Lake, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Mountain Pass
Ghost TownWilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground11.4 km (7.1 mi)
- Elbert Creek13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Halfmoon West14.7 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Halfmoon East14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Halfmoon East Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Independence Lake?
What time is golden hour at Independence Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Independence Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Independence Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Independence Lake?
How far is Independence Lake from Aspen?
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.