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Located in Pierce County, Washington, Gravelly Lake is a lake at about 80 m (262 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.9 km (1.8 mi) SSW of Lakewood.
Gravelly Lake is a lake located in Lakewood in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The lake is fed by groundwater and has no surface drainage channels. The lake is surrounded by higher-priced homes and estates. Out of the three main lakes in Lakewood, Gravelly Lake is the most prestigious and expensive. Called Cook‑al‑chy (pond lily) by the native people, the lake was named Gravelly Lake due to the gravel-covered lake bed. The lake has two legal public access points, both of which are overgrown and are not viable for access.From the Wikipedia article “Gravelly Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gravelly Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 53° NE | 9:10 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 125° SE | 4:24 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:22 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 31m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Gravelly Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:41 AM – 3:11 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:08 AM – 2:08 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:42 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:06 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.4 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 64 | 63 | 71 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 91 | 91 | 79 | 71 | 60 |
| Low °F | 13 | 15 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 28 | 16 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Gravelly Lake, closest first.
Botanical Garden
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
LakeLighthouse
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gravelly Lake?
What time is golden hour at Gravelly Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gravelly Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gravelly Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gravelly Lake?
How far is Gravelly Lake from Lakewood?
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.