Twin Lakes is a lake in Whatcom County, Washington at about 1,574 m (5,164 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 37 km (23 mi) E of Peaceful Valley.
Twin Lakes are a pair of lakes located in the Mount Baker Wilderness, in Whatcom County, Washington. They are between Winchester Mountain and Goat Mountain, near Mount Larrabee, a few miles off Mount Baker Highway east of Glacier, Washington. The road up to the Twin Lakes, FR-3065, is maintained by the United States Forest Service until about 2 miles out from the lakes. The last two miles of road are a remnant from the Mount Baker gold rush, leading up to Lone Jack mine and Gargett mine.From the Wikipedia article “Twin Lakes (Whatcom County, Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Twin Lakes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 64° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 52° NE | 9:15 PM | 309° NW | 64° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 126° SE | 4:12 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:53 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:56 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 10m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Twin Lakes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:58 AM – 4:08 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:07 AM – 2:47 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:08 AM – 12:38 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 10:35 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and November 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Twin Lakes, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Lake
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Glacier
Glacier
Waterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Fir Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Excelsior Group Camp14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Douglas Fir Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Shannon Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Park Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Twin Lakes?
What time is golden hour at Twin Lakes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Twin Lakes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Twin Lakes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Twin Lakes?
How far is Twin Lakes from Peaceful Valley?
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.