Located in Pierce County, Washington, Mowich Lake is a lake at about 1,505 m (4,938 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) SE of Crocker.
Mowich Lake is a lake located in the northwestern corner of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state at an elevation of 4,929 feet (1,502 m). The name "Mowich" derives from the Chinook Jargon word for deer. Access to the lake is provided by a 17 miles (27 km) long unpaved road which opens to vehicles in mid June to early July. Mowich Lake is also a busy campground during the summer with 30 walk-in tent camping spots. Bathrooms, tables, and trash bins are provided. From the Mowich campground, hikers can reach the Wonderland Trail, Eunice Lake, Tolmie Peak, Spray Park, and Spray Falls. Old-growth trees, waterfalls, creeks, cliffs, and wildflower meadows are also located in and around the area. Fishing is generally poor at Mowich Lake because the area is not stocked with fish and no habitat is provided for natural spawning.From the Wikipedia article “Mowich Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mowich 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 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Mowich Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:35 AM – 3:05 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:00 AM – 2:10 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:35 PM – 1:05 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:01 PM | 0.7 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.08 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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
- 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.
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 Mowich Lake, closest first.
Lake
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White River Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Group Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Picnic Vista24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Big Creek (Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Wa)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mowich Lake?
What time is golden hour at Mowich Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mowich Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mowich Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mowich Lake?
How far is Mowich Lake from Crocker?
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.