Located in Lincoln County, Wyoming, Lake Alice (Wyoming) is a lake at about 2,362 m (7,749 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) SSE of Afton.
The 3 miles (4.8 km) long, 7,745 feet (2,361 m) elevation, 230-acre (93-hectare), and 200 feet (61 m) max depth Lake Alice is the largest natural lake found in the western portion of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the state of Wyoming. It is a unique lake that was created thousands of years ago when a massive landslide peeled from the 9,325-foot (2,842 m) Lake Mountain and dammed Poker Creek with debris. The lake's outlet flows below the surface through the natural dam and emerges from the mountain as a creek 1 mile (1.6 km) away. The mountainside scar from the landslide is still visible today. Lake Alice is the home of the only known pure lake strain of naturally reproducing Bonneville cutthroat trout caused by the isolation of the landslide preventing outside genetic influence. At one time the subspecies was thought to be extinct in Wyoming.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Alice (Wyoming)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Alice (Wyoming) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 57° ENE | 9:04 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 122° ESE | 4:54 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Lake Alice (Wyoming), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:57 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:04 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:01 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 37% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 37 | 38 | 57 | 70 | 81 | 87 | 93 | 89 | 84 | 74 | 59 | 40 |
| Low °F | -25 | -29 | -18 | -4 | 10 | 19 | 30 | 30 | 20 | -3 | -23 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lake Alice (Wyoming), closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- La Barge Guard Station12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Scaler Guard Station13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Kelley Guard Station17.0 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Allred Flats Group Picnic Site19.7 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Snyder Guard Station (Wy)19.9 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Alice (Wyoming)?
What time is golden hour at Lake Alice (Wyoming)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Alice (Wyoming)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Alice (Wyoming)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Alice (Wyoming)?
How far is Lake Alice (Wyoming) from Afton?
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.