Located in Fremont County, Wyoming, Waterfalls Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 81 km (50 mi) ENE of Jackson.
Waterfalls Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley. Waterfalls Canyon is south of Ranger Peak and north of Eagles Rest Peak and the entrance to the canyon is along the western shore of Jackson Lake, directly across the lake from the Colter Bay Village. There are several cascades in the canyon, including Wilderness Falls and Columbine Cascade, which descend from an unnamed lake below Ranger Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Waterfalls Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Waterfalls Canyon 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) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° NE | 9:06 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 123° ESE | 4:46 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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 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 Waterfalls Canyon, 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 | 5:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:11 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 3:06 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 9:49 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 ≈ 21.94 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 45% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 41 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 83 | 72 | 60 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -31 | -18 | -8 | 7 | 22 | 31 | 29 | 14 | -5 | -24 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 canyon
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Waterfalls Canyon, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PassWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Waterfalls Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Waterfalls Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Waterfalls Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Waterfalls Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Waterfalls Canyon?
How far is Waterfalls Canyon from Jackson?
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.