Mica Lake is a lake in Teton County, Wyoming at about 2,915 m (9,564 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Grand Teton National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Driggs, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Mica Lake lies ENE of town).
There are 44 named and countless unnamed lakes in Grand Teton National Park. The largest of these is Jackson Lake, a natural glacial lake that has been enlarged with the construction of the Jackson Lake Dam. The lakes range in size as well as ease of access. In addition to mountain tarns, there are several large peidmont lakes. Nearly all the lakes are glacial in origin, formed by glacial action that carved out the valleys and left moraine behind that acted as dams to lock in water. The lakes exist in the near pristine wilderness environment of the park, and recreational use, boating and fishing varies by lake. Elevation of the region classes these as alpine lakes, with Jackson lake being the largest alpine lake in the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Lakes of Grand Teton National Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mica 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) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 56° NE | 9:10 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 123° ESE | 4:50 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Mica 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 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:53 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 ≈ 21.91 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Mica Lake, closest first.
Glacier
Mountain Pass
Lake
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Teton Canyon6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Reunion Flat9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Jenny Lake Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Signal Mountain Campground19.4 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Marina End Ties21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mica Lake?
What time is golden hour at Mica Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mica Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mica Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mica Lake?
How far is Mica Lake from Driggs?
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.