Located in Porter County, Indiana, Long Lake is a lake at about 184 m (604 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Indiana Dunes National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) WSW of Ogden Dunes.
Long Lake is a large interdunal wetland in the Indiana Dunes region of Northwest Indiana. It was originally approximately 8 miles in length, but has been shortened due to development and drainage. It has a surface area of 34 hectares, and a maximum depth of 1.8 meters. There are three small islands, and the total shoreline length is 4.6 kilometers. Long Lake is bisected by a major local arterial road, County Line Road. The eastern portion of the lake lies in Porter County in the town of Ogden Dunes, and the western portion is in Lake County in the Miller Beach community. The vast majority of Long Lake is within the boundaries of the Indiana Dunes National Park, although a small area at the eastern end in Ogden Dunes is used by the American Water company for a water purification plantFrom the Wikipedia article “Long Lake (Indiana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Long Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 57° ENE | 8:27 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 121° ESE | 4:22 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Long Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:27 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:35 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:35 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 7:41 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.13 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 62 | 64 | 80 | 80 | 92 | 98 | 103 | 96 | 95 | 86 | 74 | 68 |
| Low °F | -24 | -15 | -8 | 21 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 49 | 38 | 22 | 12 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Long Lake, closest first.
Sand DunesSand Dunes
Botanical GardenSand Dunes
State Park
Sand DunesSand Dunes
Botanical GardenSand DunesCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- West Beach Picnic Shelters1.1 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Chellberg Farm Picnic Shelters10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Dunbar Group Site18.9 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
- Dunewood Campground19.9 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Central Avenue Walk-In Sites24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Long Lake?
What time is golden hour at Long Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Long Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Long Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Long Lake?
How far is Long Lake from Ogden Dunes?
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.