Cultus Lake — a lake in Deschutes County, Oregon at about 1,424 m (4,672 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Deschutes National Forest. The nearest town is Three Rivers, about 31 km (20 mi) away (Cultus Lake lies W of town).
Cultus Lake is a natural lake in Deschutes County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Formed by a glacier, it is located in the high Cascade Range in the Deschutes National Forest. The name is from the Chinook Jargon and means variously bad or worthless, or simply "in vain". In the early 19th century, the lakes in this area abounded with beavers. The earliest explorers to this area were primarily on a quest for furs.From the Wikipedia article “Cultus Lake (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cultus Lake 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Cultus Lake, 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 2:54 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 59 | 61 | 72 | 79 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 71 | 55 |
| Low °F | -16 | -5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 16 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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 Cultus Lake, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Lake
Volcano
Rock Formation
Wilderness AreaLakeRock Formation
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cultus Lake Boat In - Big Cove Campground1.1 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Lake Boat In - Little Cove Campground1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Lake Campground2.1 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Lake Boat In - West Campground2.4 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- Little Cultus Campground4.1 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cultus Lake?
What time is golden hour at Cultus Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cultus Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cultus Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cultus Lake?
How far is Cultus Lake from Three Rivers?
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.