Lake Serene is a lake in Snohomish County, Washington at about 770 m (2,526 ft) above sea level. It is part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest town is Gold Bar, about 12.6 km (7.8 mi) away (Lake Serene lies SE of town).
Lake Serene is an alpine lake located in Snohomish County, Washington near Mount Index and above Bridal Veil Falls. The lake is a popular area for hiking and fishing.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Serene”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Serene 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 308° (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) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 125° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Serene, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:16 AM – 1:56 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 12:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:55 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.92 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 36% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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.
- 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 Lake Serene, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Heybrook Lookout4.0 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Money Creek Campground13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Miller River Group Camp16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Troublesome Creek Campground18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Beckler River Campground18.6 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Serene?
What time is golden hour at Lake Serene?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Serene?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Serene?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Serene?
How far is Lake Serene from Gold Bar?
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.