Maidu Lake — a lake in Douglas County, Oregon at about 1,824 m (5,984 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 97 km (60 mi) SSW of Deschutes River Woods.
Maidu Lake is a small natural freshwater lake in the Cascade Range in eastern Douglas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in the Mount Thielsen Wilderness of the Umpqua National Forest, about 15 miles (24 km) west of the community of Chemult. The lake, at 5,984 feet (1,824 m) above sea level, is the source of the North Umpqua River. The eastern terminus of the 79-mile (127 km) North Umpqua Trail, which follows the river, is at Maidu Lake. A 4.7-mile (7.6 km) connecting trail continues east, intersecting the Pacific Crest Trail between Maidu Lake and Miller Lake. Maidu Lake supports brook trout ranging in size to upwards of 16 inches (41 cm). The lake is periodically re-stocked by volunteers, who bring in hatchery fingerlings by horseback.From the Wikipedia article “Maidu Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Maidu Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 56° NE | 8:52 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:36 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Maidu Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:00 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 1:47 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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
- 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 Maidu Lake, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
WaterfallWaterfall
National Forest
Mountain Peak
VolcanoCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kelsay Valley Horse Camp10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Inlet Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- East Lemolo Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Diamond Lake15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Thielsen View Campground16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Maidu Lake?
What time is golden hour at Maidu Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Maidu Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Maidu Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Maidu Lake?
How far is Maidu Lake from Deschutes River Woods?
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.