Tipsoo Lake — a lake in Pierce County, Washington at about 1,615 m (5,299 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Crocker, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Tipsoo Lake lies ESE of town).
Tipsoo Lake, at an elevation of 5,298 feet (1,615 m) above sea level, is an alpine lake within the Northern Cascade Range near the summit of Chinook Pass in Pierce County, Washington. The area is popular with photographers as the shores and surrounding area abound with the vibrant yellow, orange and purple colors of huckleberry, lupine, Indian paintbrush, and Partridgefoot. There are several hiking trails near the lake that vary in degrees of difficulty and that have views of Mount Rainier, Yakima Peak, and the surrounding landscape.From the Wikipedia article “Tipsoo Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tipsoo 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) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 54° NE | 9:05 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 125° SE | 4:21 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 | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:54 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 Tipsoo 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 | 5:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:26 AM – 4:16 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:32 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:31 PM – 1:11 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:09 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:04 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 ≈ 21.43 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
- 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.
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 Tipsoo Lake, closest first.
Natural Arch
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White River Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground (Washington)11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Silver Springs Campground13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Group Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tipsoo Lake?
What time is golden hour at Tipsoo Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tipsoo Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tipsoo Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tipsoo Lake?
How far is Tipsoo 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.