Lake Colden — a lake in Essex County, New York at about 843 m (2,766 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is North Elba, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Lake Colden lies S of town).
Lake Colden is a 41-acre (17 ha) lake located in the Adirondack High Peaks in New York, United States. Lake Colden sits at 2,764 feet (842 meters) at the western base of 4,714-foot (1,437 m) Mount Colden. To the northwest lie the MacIntyre Mountains— 5,115-foot (1,559 m) Algonquin Peak (the second highest mountain in the state), 4,829-foot (1,472-meter) Boundary Peak, 4,843-foot (1,476-meter) Iroquois Peak and 4,380-foot (1,340-meter) Mount Marshall. Mount Marcy is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) to the east. Lake Colden is fed by Avalanche Lake, to the northeast and in turn feeds Flowed Lands, to the southwest. Being in the heart of the High Peaks, the area is very popular with hikers. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation maintains an Interior Outpost on the western shore. There are a number of campsites and lean-tos in the area. Lake Colden was named after David C....From the Wikipedia article “Lake Colden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Colden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 123° ESE | 4:21 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Lake Colden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:49 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 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 September as the clearest month (about 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 55 | 63 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 91 | 79 | 70 | 60 |
| Low °F | -29 | -27 | -18 | 8 | 27 | 36 | 43 | 45 | 32 | 23 | -7 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Lake Colden, closest first.
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Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
LakeWaterfall
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Colden?
What time is golden hour at Lake Colden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Colden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Colden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Colden?
How far is Lake Colden from North Elba?
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.