Beebe Lake (Ithaca) is a lake in Tompkins County, New York at about 238 m (781 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Cayuga Heights, about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) away (Beebe Lake (Ithaca) lies SE of town).
Beebe Lake /bibi/ is a reservoir in Ithaca, New York, located on the campus of Cornell University. The shallow lake impounds Fall Creek; it has a surface area of roughly 17 acres (6.9 ha) and contains roughly 53 million gallons of water. Most of the land surrounding the lake is a forested preserve managed by the Cornell Botanic Gardens, including one man-made island. Beebe Lake was initially created in 1838 by the damming of Fall Creek and enlarged in 1898. It has been dredged several times, notably in 1988 and 2000. Throughout the early 20th-century, the lake was a popular site of winter recreation activities, including ice skating and toboggan slide rides. Beebe Lake also hosted games of the Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey team in their early years.From the Wikipedia article “Beebe Lake (New York)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beebe Lake (Ithaca) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 57° ENE | 8:47 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Beebe Lake (Ithaca), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 61 | 65 | 73 | 84 | 93 | 94 | 101 | 95 | 93 | 86 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | -12 | -18 | -7 | 12 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 46 | 33 | 23 | -7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Beebe Lake (Ithaca), closest first.
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Potomac Group Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Blueberry Patch Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Blueberry Patch Campground27 km (17 mi)
- Backbone Horse Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beebe Lake (Ithaca)?
What time is golden hour at Beebe Lake (Ithaca)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beebe Lake (Ithaca)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beebe Lake (Ithaca)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beebe Lake (Ithaca)?
How far is Beebe Lake (Ithaca) from Cayuga Heights?
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.