Tony Grove Lake — a lake in Cache County, Utah at about 2,453 m (8,048 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Wasatch–Cache National Forest. The nearest town is Richmond, about 14.4 km (8.9 mi) away (Tony Grove Lake lies ESE of town).
Tony Grove Lake is a lake in Cache County, Utah. The Tony Grove Lake Campground is located on the southeast shore of the lake. The lake and campground are situated on the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway. A 5–6 mi (8.0–9.7 km) paved road climbs to a height of 8,048 feet (2,453 m) to reach Tony Grove Lake and the Mount Naomi Wilderness area. A historic marker at the lake states that Tony Grove's name derived from its popularity with wealthy residents of Logan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Mt. Naomi Wilderness Area was designated in 1984, and covers 45,000 acres (180 km2). This region embraces some of the most rugged and spectacular country in the Bear River Range. The area around this glacial lake explodes into wildflowers in the early summer. Many trails throughout the area offer wildlife viewing. Access and parking for the White Pine Lake Trail, Coldwater Spring Trail,...From the Wikipedia article “Tony Grove Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tony Grove 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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 57° ENE | 9:06 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 122° ESE | 4:59 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 | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Tony Grove 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:07 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:13 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.41 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 53 | 53 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 97 | 93 | 89 | 80 | 65 | 50 |
| Low °F | -19 | -23 | -4 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 37 | 35 | 22 | 1 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Tony Grove Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
National Forest
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tony Grove Day Use341 m · reservable
- Tony Grove Campground703 m · reservable
- Lewis M. Turner Campground (Ut)6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Red Banks Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Smithfield Campground9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tony Grove Lake?
What time is golden hour at Tony Grove Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tony Grove Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tony Grove Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tony Grove Lake?
How far is Tony Grove Lake from Richmond?
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.