Red Pine Lake is a lake in Salt Lake County, Utah at about 2,934 m (9,626 ft) above sea level. It is part of Wasatch–Cache National Forest. It sits roughly 10.1 km (6.3 mi) ESE of Granite.
Red Pine Lake is a small alpine reservoir in Little Cottonwood Canyon, in the U.S. state of Utah. This area is also part of the Wasatch National Forest. Red Pine Dam, which holds the lake, was constructed in 1920. The lake can be accessed through a dirt trail from a parking lot off the main road. The most common route is around 7 miles round trip. The lake has a capacity of 100 acre-feet, with the surface area fluctuating frequently through seasons. Recreation around the lake includes fishing, hiking, climbing, and camping, although swimming and wading are prohibited due to it being a protected watershed. Red Pine is considered a watershed area which supplies drinking water for Salt Lake City metropolitan area. This drinking water comes from several hundred inches of snow each year that lasts into July.From the Wikipedia article “Red Pine Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Red Pine Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 9:02 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 121° ESE | 5:04 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Red Pine Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 50 | 56 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 49 |
| Low °F | -23 | -28 | -14 | -6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 1 | -17 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Red Pine Lake, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tanners Flat3.3 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Granite Flat (Utah) 7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Albion Basin7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Storm Mountain Day Use Area9.9 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Birches Picnic Area10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red Pine Lake?
What time is golden hour at Red Pine Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Red Pine Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Red Pine Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Red Pine Lake?
How far is Red Pine Lake from Granite?
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.