USA Clearwater State Recreation Site

Although not featured here, the Clearwater River is an aptly named spring fed river that is highly photogenic during daytime hours. The drive south from Delta Junction to Summit Lake (about 70 miles) is spectacular.

Requires use of a tripod and obviously, a clear sky is helpful. I kept track of the KP index for weeks which was at level 5 on this night. Shoot in manual mode. White Balance was set at 4000K. My lens was a Sigma 14mm set at aperture 1.8. ISO was at 1000 although I could’ve gone lower at times with the 1.8 aperture. Shutter speed changed constantly depending on the brightness of the Aurora and how quickly it was moving. On this night, the light was brilliant and in constant motion so my shutter speed also changed constantly and ranged mostly between 2 and 5 seconds. In camera noise reduction was OFF.

The park is about 15 minutes east of Delta Junction. There are campsites with picnic tables and vault toilets nearby. Fee area.