Lake Hartwell is a lake in Anderson County, South Carolina. The nearest town is Reed Creek, about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) away (Lake Hartwell lies ENE of town).
Lake Hartwell is a man-made reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina and encompassing parts of the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca Rivers. Lake Hartwell is one of the largest recreation lakes in the Southeastern United States. It was created by the construction of the Hartwell Dam, completed in 1962 and located on the Savannah River seven miles (11 km) below the point where the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah. Extending 49 miles (79 km) up the Tugaloo and 45 miles (72 km) up the Seneca at normal pool elevation, the lake comprises nearly 56,000 acres (230 km2) of water with a shoreline of 962 miles (1,548 km). The entire Hartwell reservoir project contains 76,450 acres (309.4 km2) of land and water. Interstate highway 85 bisects Lake Hartwell, making the area easily accessible to visitors.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Hartwell”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Hartwell the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 61° ENE | 8:48 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 118° ESE | 5:26 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Lake Hartwell, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:31 PM – 4:31 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 3:07 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 1:02 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 11:04 PM | 2.0 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:01 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 74 | 77 | 83 | 89 | 98 | 109 | 108 | 107 | 101 | 101 | 84 | 77 |
| Low °F | 11 | 11 | 16 | 24 | 39 | 52 | 59 | 56 | 44 | 29 | 21 | 17 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.0 |
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 Lake Hartwell, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Springfield3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Broyles5.7 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Crescent9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Elrod Ferry11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Singing Pines12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Hartwell?
What time is golden hour at Lake Hartwell?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Hartwell?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Hartwell?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Hartwell?
How far is Lake Hartwell from Reed Creek?
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.