Located in District of Columbia, Kingman Lake is a lake. It lies in or next to Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Benning, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Kingman Lake lies W of town).
Kingman Lake is a 110-acre (0.45 km2) artificial lake located in the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., U.S. The lake was created in 1920 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers used material dredged from the Anacostia River to create Kingman Island. The Corps of Engineers largely blocked the flow of the Anacostia River to the west of Kingman Island, creating the lake (although some water is permitted to enter the lake to prevent it from completely evaporating and to refresh its waters). Kingman Lake is currently managed by the National Park Service. The former RFK Stadium and the future New Stadium at RFK Campus are directly to the west.From the Wikipedia article “Kingman Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kingman 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 8:06 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Kingman 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 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:09 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.71 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 71 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 100 | 94 | 93 | 75 | 72 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 38 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kingman Lake, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Beach
Botanical Garden
Beach
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fort Dupont Park Picnic Areas3.8 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Rock Creek Park Group Picnic Areas (Dc)10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Greenbelt Park Ranger Station10.9 km (6.8 mi)
- Greenbelt Campground11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kingman Lake?
What time is golden hour at Kingman Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kingman Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kingman Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kingman Lake?
How far is Kingman Lake from Benning?
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.