Upper Waterton Lake is a lake in Glacier County, Montana at about 1,280 m (4,199 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Glacier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Columbia Falls, about 73 km (45 mi) away (Upper Waterton Lake lies NNE of town).
Waterton Lake (Blackfoot: Paahtómahksikimi) is a mountain lake in southern Alberta, Canada, and northern Montana, United States. The lake is composed of two bodies of water, connected by a shallow channel known locally as the Bosporus. The two parts are referred to as Middle Waterton Lake, and Upper Waterton Lake, the latter of which is divided by the Canada–United States border, with Canada containing about two thirds of the lake, while the southern third falls in the United States. The Boundary Commission Trail ends at the lake as the last border marker was placed there on 8 August 1874. The United States Geological Survey gives the geocoordinates of 49°03′00″N 113°54′03″W for Upper Waterton Lake. Lower Waterton Lake is north of Middle Waterton Lake and is separated by a channel known as the Dardanelles.From the Wikipedia article “Waterton Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Waterton Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 64° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 52° NE | 9:44 PM | 309° NW | 64° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:28 AM | 126° SE | 5:41 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 13m |
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 | 7:49 AM | 8:25 AM | 9:17 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 8h 41m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:30 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 11m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:32 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:42 PM | 10:25 PM | 16h 11m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:17 PM | 15h 48m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 38m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:40 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 8:11 AM | 8:46 AM | 9:36 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:31 PM | 9h 10m |
| December | 8:47 AM | 9:24 AM | 10:19 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 8h 15m |
Local time (America/Edmonton), 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 Upper Waterton Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 4:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:36 AM – 3:16 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:26 AM – 2:56 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:37 AM – 1:07 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:04 PM – 11:04 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 46 | 49 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 93 | 97 | 98 | 88 | 81 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -32 | -33 | -24 | 2 | 22 | 28 | 40 | 33 | 11 | 1 | -25 | -34 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
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.
- 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.
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 Upper Waterton Lake, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Lake
Lake
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Waterton Lake?
What time is golden hour at Upper Waterton Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Waterton Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Waterton Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Waterton Lake?
How far is Upper Waterton Lake from Columbia Falls?
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.