Summit Lake Park is a lake in Clear Creek County, Colorado at about 3,912 m (12,835 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Georgetown, about 12.8 km (8.0 mi) away (Summit Lake Park lies SSE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Summit Lake Park is a park located along Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway about 64 miles (100 km) west of Denver, Colorado. The park is 160 acres (0.65 km2) in size and contains alpine tundra. Land to the east of the lake is in a state of permafrost which helps to prevent drainage of the area. During the summer, the park is filled with wildflowers, some of which have not been found anywhere else outside of the Arctic Circle. The park is named after Summit Lake, the headwaters of Bear Creek.From the Wikipedia article “Summit Lake Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Summit Lake Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Summit Lake Park, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.1 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Summit Lake Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Guanella Pass6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Echo Lake7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- West Chicago Creek9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Geneva Park Campground10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Burning Bear Campground11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Summit Lake Park?
What time is golden hour at Summit Lake Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Summit Lake Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Summit Lake Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Summit Lake Park?
How far is Summit Lake Park from Georgetown?
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.