Located in Lewis County, Washington, Snow Lake is a lake at about 1,427 m (4,682 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 45 km (28 mi) ESE of Eatonville.
Snow Lake is a lake in Lewis County, Washington. It is within Mount Rainier National Park. It is in a glacial cirque below Unicorn Peak, in the Tatoosh Range. It also has a hiking trail, spanning about seven miles.From the Wikipedia article “Snow Lake (Mount Rainier)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Snow Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (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 67° 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) | 5:14 AM | 54° NE | 9:05 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Snow Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:33 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:15 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 1:12 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:10 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:05 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.42 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Snow Lake, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cougar Rock Campground7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Group Campground7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Group Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- La Wis Wis Campground12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Snow Lake?
What time is golden hour at Snow Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Snow Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Snow Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Snow Lake?
How far is Snow Lake from Eatonville?
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.