Located in Giles County, Virginia, Mountain Lake is a lake at about 1,181 m (3,875 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Pembroke, about 10.3 km (6.4 mi) away (Mountain Lake lies ENE of town).
Mountain Lake is a freshwater lake located in Giles County near Newport, Virginia in the United States. Along with Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp, it is one of only two natural lakes in Virginia. It was originally known as Salt Pond, as it was where cattle were given salt. The area is within the Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster.From the Wikipedia article “Mountain Lake (Virginia)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mountain Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 119° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Mountain Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:42 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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.
- 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 Mountain Lake, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
Botanical Garden
Wilderness Area
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Boley Field Group Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Caldwell Fields Group Campground18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mountain Lake?
What time is golden hour at Mountain Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mountain Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mountain Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mountain Lake?
How far is Mountain Lake from Pembroke?
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.