Located in Teton County, Wyoming, Lower Slide Lake is a lake at about 2,107 m (6,913 ft) above sea level. It is part of Bridger–Teton National Forest. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) NE of Jackson.
Lower Slide Lake is located in Bridger-Teton National Forest, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The natural lake was created on June 23, 1925, when the Gros Ventre landslide dammed the Gros Ventre River. The lake was once much larger, however part of the rock dam failed less than two years later, on May 18, 1927, causing deadly flooding downstream. The lake waters have natural and stocked fish including lake and Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish.From the Wikipedia article “Lower Slide Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Slide 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 304° (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 | 9:08 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 123° ESE | 4:49 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 00m |
| 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 | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Lower Slide 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:50 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 3:09 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:52 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.9 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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lower Slide Lake, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gros Ventre Campground11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Jenny Lake Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Signal Mountain Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Slide Lake?
What time is golden hour at Lower Slide Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Slide Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lower Slide Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lower Slide Lake?
How far is Lower Slide Lake from Jackson?
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.