Located in Colfax County, New Mexico, Eagle Nest Lake State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 15.9 km (9.9 mi) NNE of Angel Fire.
Eagle Nest Lake State Park is a state park in New Mexico, United States, located outside Eagle Nest, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Taos. It was established on July 3, 2004. Its main attraction is a 2,400-acre (970 ha) lake which is popular for fishing and boating in summer, and ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. The lake itself is a man-made reservoir created when the Cimarron River was impounded by the Eagle Nest Dam in 1918. Before this, the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Railway did some grading work in 1907 on an unfinished extension from its terminus at Ute Park to Taos, including boring a tunnel here. The lake is home to several species of fish, including rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, yellow perch, common carp, white sucker, and northern pike, which were introduced into Eagle Nest Lake (by law, anglers must harvest/keep...From the Wikipedia article “Eagle Nest Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eagle Nest Lake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 60° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 119° ESE | 4:50 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Eagle Nest Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:56 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:03 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 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.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 58 | 58 | 70 | 77 | 91 | 95 | 96 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 56 |
| Low °F | -8 | -11 | 0 | 17 | 19 | 31 | 45 | 40 | 25 | 13 | 5 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Eagle Nest Lake State Park, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Wilderness AreaMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Junebug Campground26 km (16 mi)
- Elephant Rock Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Cimarron Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- La Sombra Campground27 km (17 mi)
- Fawn Lakes Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eagle Nest Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Eagle Nest Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eagle Nest Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eagle Nest Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eagle Nest Lake State Park?
How far is Eagle Nest Lake State Park from Angel Fire?
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.