Located in Clallam County, Washington, Lake Crescent is a lake at about 178 m (584 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Olympic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 30 km (19 mi) WSW of Port Angeles.
Lake Crescent is a deep lake located entirely within Olympic National Park in Clallam County, Washington, United States, approximately 17 miles (27 km) west of Port Angeles on U.S. Route 101, near the small community of Piedmont. With an official maximum depth of 624 feet (190 m), it is the second deepest lake in the state of Washington (after Lake Chelan). A lake-wide bathymetric survey was performed from 2013 to 2014 by Eian Ray and Jeff Engea and the results of this survey show the maximum depth as being 596 feet (182 m). Using GIS statistical analysis, this survey also estimated that the lake contains around 0.5 cubic miles (2.1 km3) of fresh water.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Crescent”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Crescent the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (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 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:20 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:03 AM | 126° SE | 4:25 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:59 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:53 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 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 Lake Crescent, 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 3:51 AM – 4:21 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:53 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:32 AM – 1:52 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:58 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 10:56 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 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 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 53 | 55 | 65 | 76 | 81 | 85 | 93 | 87 | 82 | 70 | 60 | 56 |
| Low °F | 14 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 43 | 47 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 15 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 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
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lake Crescent, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Waterfall
Ghost Town
Canyon
Waterfall
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fairholme Campground6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Klahowya Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Hoh Rainforest Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Crescent?
What time is golden hour at Lake Crescent?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Crescent?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Crescent?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Crescent?
How far is Lake Crescent from Port Angeles?
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.