Milky Way Night – Ozette, Olympic NP
A recent post Washington Coast – Ozette, Olympic NP, talked about a nice hike through the forest to a remote beach and amazing sunset. Well, that wasn’t quite the end of the day…more appropriately, the night sky was just beginning.
The campground, located at the north end of Ozette Lake, is remote enough to escape a majority of the light pollution. The nearest town of Forks which is over 15 miles away is small with a population of around 3,500.
Olympic Peninsula, WA (Google Maps)
Knowing the weather was clear, I hoped to have a great view of the Milky Way during the evening before the moon began to rise in the east. The TimeAndDate website showed sunset at 7:23 PM and moonrise at 10:56 PM on the 14th so there would be a few hours of darkness. About an hour after sunset, I found a spot along the lake near the campsite to enjoy the view!
Milky Way – Ozette Lake, Olympic NP, WA
Image captured with my Canon 60D, EF-S 10-22 mm f/3.5 lens, mounted on a tripod. The exposure was 33 seconds at f/3.5, focal length 10 mm, ISO 6400.
One of the great things about this evening, in addition to the clear skies, was the calm winds making the surface of Lake Ozette perfectly smooth. Finding places to view the Milky Way galaxy is a treat, seeing the stars reflecting off the lake was quite the bonus. I enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the Milky Way in an image but the best part of the evening is the quiet time simply marveling at the sight of the hundreds of million stars that make up our galaxy.
Milky Way Reflecting on Lake Ozette, WA
Image captured with my Canon 60D, EF-S 10-22 mm f/3.5 lens, mounted on a tripod. The exposure was 42 seconds at f/3.5, focal length 10 mm, ISO 6400.
This evening was part of a 3-week West Coast road trip in Gayla’s Prius. Loving the 50 MPG this hybrid averaged on the trip. I took a two man tent to enjoy nights like this. Location…Location…Location!!
Camping Under the Stars, Lake Ozette, Olympic NP, WA
Ozette Lake is 160 miles northwest of Seattle taking the scenic drive along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For more information about Olympic NP and other lodging options including fees and reservation information:
For more information on the Milky Way Galaxy
For more information on ideas on how to plan a trip like this
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