Lahontan State Recreation Area — a state park in Lyon County, Nevada — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.6 km (5.3 mi) E of Silver Springs.
Lahontan State Recreation Area is a public recreation area surrounding the Lahontan Reservoir, a 17-mile-long (27 km) impoundment of the Carson River, located approximately 18 miles (29 km) west of Fallon, Nevada. The reservoir features 69 miles (111 km) of shoreline and 11,200 acres (4,500 ha) of water when full. Much of the park lies below 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in elevation and is dominated by high desert sagebrush. Wooded areas of native cottonwoods and willow trees can be found along the shore of the lake. Primary access points to the park are along U.S. Route 50 near the Lahontan Dam and off U.S. Route 95 in the town of Silver Springs. A corridor known as Carson River Ranches connects Lahontan with Fort Churchill State Historic Park.From the Wikipedia article “Lahontan State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lahontan State Recreation Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:28 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 120° ESE | 4:37 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Lahontan State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
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 state park
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Lahontan State Recreation Area, closest first.
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Waterfall
Ghost Town
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Ghost TownFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.