Located in Wallowa County, Oregon, Aneroid Lake is a lake at about 2,288 m (7,507 ft) above sea level. It is part of Eagle Cap Wilderness. It sits roughly 16.4 km (10.2 mi) S of Joseph.
In common with many of the neighboring lakes in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Wallowa County, Oregon, Aneroid Lake is nestled in an example of a cirque valley with large tarn scoured out of the mountain side by glacial movements during the Pleistocene. Located at the southern foot of Bonneville Mountain the lake and its basin form the headwaters of the East Fork Wallowa River. Aneroid Mountain, namesake of the lake, is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east, while Roger Lake lies in between a mere .5 miles (0.80 km) away. Dollar Lake is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the southeast and Pete's Point 1.5 miles (2.4 km) slightly to the southwest. Because the lake is within the boundaries of the Eagle Cap Wilderness protection area it is inaccessible by any motorized vehicle or any other mechanized mode of travel. However, there is a popular hiking trail for...From the Wikipedia article “Aneroid Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aneroid Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:41 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 124° ESE | 4:10 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:42 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Aneroid Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:02 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 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 July as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 48 | 53 | 67 | 78 | 88 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 87 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -14 | -9 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 29 | 36 | 36 | 26 | 11 | -3 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Aneroid Lake, closest first.
Lake
Mountain Pass
Lake
Lake
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain Peak
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aneroid Lake?
What time is golden hour at Aneroid Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aneroid Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aneroid Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aneroid Lake?
How far is Aneroid Lake from Joseph?
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.