Bear Lake is a lake in Rich County, Utah. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) S of Montpelier.
Bear Lake is a natural freshwater lake on the Idaho–Utah border in the Western United States. About 109 square miles (280 km2) in size, it is split about equally between the two states; its Utah portion comprises the second-largest natural freshwater lake in Utah, after Utah Lake. The lake has been called the "Caribbean of the Rockies" for its unique turquoise-blue color, which is due to the refraction of calcium carbonate (limestone) deposits suspended in the lake. Its water properties have led to the evolution of several unique species of fauna that occur only within the lake. Bear Lake is at least 250,000 years old and could be several million years old. It was formed by fault subsidence that continues today, slowly deepening the lake along the eastern side. In 1911 the majority of the flow of the Bear River was diverted into Bear Lake via Mud Lake and a canal from Stewart Dam,...From the Wikipedia article “Bear Lake (Idaho–Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bear Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 57° ENE | 9:05 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 122° ESE | 4:58 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 08m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Bear Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:05 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:56 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.77 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 35 | 43 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 78 | 61 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -19 | -14 | -6 | 17 | 22 | 35 | 32 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
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
- 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 Bear Lake, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Cave
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sunrise Campground13.8 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- St. Charles Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Davis Canyon Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Porcupine (Id)18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Cloverleaf Campground19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bear Lake?
What time is golden hour at Bear Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bear Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bear Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bear Lake?
How far is Bear Lake from Montpelier?
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.