Lake Maratanza — a lake in Ulster County, New York at about 686 m (2,251 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ellenville, about 5.4 km (3.4 mi) away (Lake Maratanza lies SE of town).
Lake Maratanza is the highest lake in New York's Shawangunk Ridge at 2,245 feet (684 m) above sea level. It is within Sam's Point Preserve. The lake is dammed and supplies drinking water to Ellenville. The outlet brook drains to the other side of the ridge, into the Verkeerder Kill, a tributary of the Shawangunk Kill and by extension the Wallkill River.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Maratanza”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Maratanza the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Maratanza, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:36 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.12 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 72 | 90 | 88 | 94 | 99 | 101 | 95 | 88 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -14 | -19 | -8 | 18 | 28 | 37 | 47 | 48 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Maratanza, closest first.
Cave
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Maratanza?
What time is golden hour at Lake Maratanza?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Maratanza?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Maratanza?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Maratanza?
How far is Lake Maratanza from Ellenville?
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.