Lizard Lake is a lake in Gunnison County, Colorado at about 2,654 m (8,707 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Snowmass Village, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Lizard Lake lies SW of town).
Lizard Lake is a lake in Gunnison County, Colorado. The lake is located within the boundaries of the White River National Forest, between Marble and the ghost town of Crystal, along Crystal City Road (FSR #314). The lake has views of Whitehouse Mountain (to the southeast), and is near Sheep Mountain (to the northeast) and Hat Mountain (to the southwest). The name Lizard Lake is a misnomer for the salamanders (not lizards) with feather-like gills inhabiting the lake, seen along the mud lake bottom and floating above the aquatic vegetation.From the Wikipedia article “Lizard Lake (Gunnison County)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lizard 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:39 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 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 Lizard 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:10 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 ≈ 21.81 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 65 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 90 | 89 | 76 | 64 | 48 |
| Low °F | -25 | -22 | -8 | 7 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 5 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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 Lizard Lake, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain PassWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bogan Flats Campground And Group9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Redstone15.2 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Erickson Springs16.0 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Gothic16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Maroon Bells Amphitheatre18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lizard Lake?
What time is golden hour at Lizard Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lizard Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lizard Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lizard Lake?
How far is Lizard Lake from Snowmass Village?
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.