Cold Lakes — a lake in Elko County, Nevada at about 3,008 m (9,869 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) E of Spring Creek.
Cold Lakes are a pair of glacial tarns in the Ruby Mountains, in Elko County in the northeastern part of the state of Nevada. They are located at the head of Cold Creek Canyon, at approximately 40°42.9′N 115°18.1′W, and at an elevation of 9,880 feet (3,010 m). They have a combined area of approximately 7.4 acres (3.0 hectares), and a depth of up to 28 feet (8.5 m). The outflow of these lakes are one of the sources for Cold Creek, which after exiting the mountains flows down Lamoille Valley and then merges with the main branch of the Humboldt River.From the Wikipedia article “Cold Lakes (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cold Lakes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 58° ENE | 8:17 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 121° ESE | 4:18 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Cold Lakes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 9:35 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 7:33 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 73 | 81 | 92 | 98 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -18 | -6 | -1 | 15 | 19 | 27 | 42 | 40 | 26 | 8 | -8 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cold Lakes, closest first.
Lake
Lake
LakeMountain Peak
Lake
Hot Spring
Canyon
Mountain Peak
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Terraces Campground - Picnic Area10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Thomas Canyon11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Powerhouse Group Picnic Area14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cold Lakes?
What time is golden hour at Cold Lakes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cold Lakes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cold Lakes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cold Lakes?
How far is Cold Lakes from Spring Creek?
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.