Located in Teton County, Wyoming, Emma Matilda Lake is a lake at about 2,096 m (6,877 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Grand Teton National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 47 km (29 mi) NNE of Moose Wilson Road.
Emma Matilda Lake is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The lake is named after the wife of William O. Owen who was the first, along with three other climbers, to ascend to the summit of Grand Teton in 1898. The natural lake is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) long and can be reached by way of a 1-mile (1.6 km) hike from a parking area at Two Ocean Lake or via a slightly longer hike from Jackson Lake Lodge. The 10.7-mile (17.2 km) Emma Matilda Lake Trail circles the lake and offers distant views of the Teton Range.From the Wikipedia article “Emma Matilda Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Emma Matilda Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 56° NE | 9:09 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 123° ESE | 4:48 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 55m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Emma Matilda Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:16 AM – 3:46 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:32 PM – 3:12 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:18 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 33 | 33 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 89 | 83 | 74 | 57 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -31 | -23 | -10 | 5 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 18 | -3 | -19 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
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.
- 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.
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 Emma Matilda Lake, closest first.
Lake
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Lake
Canyon
Hot Spring
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Signal Mountain Campground8.3 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Tent Village8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Campground8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Rv Park8.9 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Marina End Ties9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Emma Matilda Lake?
What time is golden hour at Emma Matilda Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Emma Matilda Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Emma Matilda Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Emma Matilda Lake?
How far is Emma Matilda Lake from Moose Wilson Road?
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.