Heather Lake — a lake in Snohomish County, Washington at about 731 m (2,398 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest town is Granite Falls, about 14.0 km (8.7 mi) away (Heather Lake lies E of town).
Heather Lake is a subalpine lake at the foot of Mount Pilchuck in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The lake is 2,399 feet (731 m) above sea level and is accessed via the Heather Lake Trail. It receives an estimated 22,000 visitors each summer, making it the third most popular site in the Mountain Loop Highway region, behind the Big Four Ice Caves and Lake Twentytwo.From the Wikipedia article “Heather Lake (Snohomish County, Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Heather Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 52° NE | 9:11 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 126° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 21m |
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 | 8:44 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 23m |
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 Heather Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 2:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:24 AM – 1:44 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:50 PM – 12:50 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 10:48 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Heather Lake, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Mountain PeakState Park
Waterfall
Fire LookoutWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Verlot Campground2.5 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Tulalip Mill Site Group Campground2.7 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Turlo Campground3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Gold Basin Campground3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Wiley Creek Group Camp5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Heather Lake?
What time is golden hour at Heather Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Heather Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Heather Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Heather Lake?
How far is Heather Lake from Granite Falls?
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.