Located in Clackamas County, Oregon, Trillium Lake is a lake. It is part of Mount Hood National Forest. The nearest town is Mount Hood Village, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Trillium Lake lies ESE of town).
Trillium Lake is a lake situated 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south-southwest of Mount Hood in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is formed by a dam at the headwaters of Mud Creek, tributary to the Salmon River. It was created by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1960. The area which is now the lake was part of the Barlow Road, a component of the Oregon Trail. A log road across marshes allowed immigrants to pass to Summit Meadow, which was a toll station 1866—1870. Trillium is a genus of flowers particularly noticeable in the area. The lake is popular for fishing, camping and photography, often clearly reflecting Mount Hood. Adjacent Trillium Lake Campground is administered by the Zigzag Ranger District of the Mount Hood National Forest. The large campground features a seasonal boat ramp and wheelchair-accessible floating dock. The lake is a very popular Nordic skiing destination...From the Wikipedia article “Trillium Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trillium 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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 55° NE | 8:59 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 124° ESE | 4:28 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 | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Trillium 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:15 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:21 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.5 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Trillium Lake, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Glacier
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trillium378 m · reservable
- Still Creek3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Frog Lake6.2 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Clear Lake (Or)10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Camp Creek10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trillium Lake?
What time is golden hour at Trillium Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trillium Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trillium Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trillium Lake?
How far is Trillium Lake from Mount Hood Village?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.