Holland Lake — a lake in Missoula County, Montana at about 1,230 m (4,035 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) NNW of Seeley Lake.
Holland Lake sits at the base of the Swan Range 20 miles (32 km) north of Seeley Lake in Missoula County, Montana. The area is part of Flathead National Forest and offers camping, hiking, swimming, and boating.From the Wikipedia article “Holland Lake (Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Holland Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 89° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 53° NE | 9:36 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 125° SE | 4:47 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:08 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:45 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:19 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:09 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Holland Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:03 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:08 AM – 4:48 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:07 AM – 3:27 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:38 AM – 2:28 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:09 AM – 1:29 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:52 PM – 11:22 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 37 | 45 | 65 | 71 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 95 | 87 | 77 | 59 | 38 |
| Low °F | -29 | -36 | -27 | -7 | 20 | 27 | 35 | 35 | 20 | -10 | -15 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Holland Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Holland Lake Campground694 m · reservable
- Owl Creek Corral1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Owl Creek Cabin2.4 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- Lindbergh Lake Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi)
- Lake Alva Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Holland Lake?
What time is golden hour at Holland Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Holland Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Holland Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Holland Lake?
How far is Holland Lake from Seeley Lake?
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.