Marion Lake — a lake in Linn County, Oregon at about 1,260 m (4,134 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sisters, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Marion Lake lies NW of town).
Marion Lake is a subalpine lake located in Linn County of the U.S. state of Oregon. The lake is in central Oregon's Cascades within the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. The lake is approximately 300 acres (1.2 km2), at an elevation of 4,134 feet (1,260 m). It is the largest lake in an Oregon wilderness area and the largest lake not accessible by automobile. With the exception of large Waldo Lake, it is the largest natural lake in the Willamette National Forest on the west slope of the Central Cascade Range. Marion Lake was named in 1874 by John Minto's Marion County road-viewing party in 1874. Marion County, in turn, had been named for General Francis Marion of Revolutionary War fame. It is the headwaters of Marion Creek, a tributary of the North Santiam River. The rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) is found at Marion Lake during the amphibian's breeding season.From the Wikipedia article “Marion Lake (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marion Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Marion Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:08 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.72 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 July as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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.
- 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 Marion Lake, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Volcano
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Riverside At Detroit (Willamette National Forest, Or)11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Big Meadows Horse Camp11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Big Pool11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Jack Creek Campground14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Lost Lake - Willamette (Or)14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marion Lake?
What time is golden hour at Marion Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marion Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marion Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marion Lake?
How far is Marion Lake from Sisters?
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.