Located in Wake County, North Carolina, Falls Lake is a lake. It sits roughly 9.8 km (6.1 mi) ESE of Gorman.
Falls Lake is a 12,410 acre (50 km2) reservoir located in Durham, Wake, and Granville counties in North Carolina, United States. It extends 28 miles (45 km) up the Neuse River to its source at the confluence of the Eno, Little, and Flat rivers, and has a shoreline of 175 miles (280 km). The lake is named for the Falls of the Neuse, a once whitewater section of the river that fell from the Piedmont into the lower Coastal Plain submerged during construction of the lake. The lake provides drinking water for several of the surrounding communities, including the city of Raleigh, aids with flood control and serves as a recreation area and wildlife habitat.From the Wikipedia article “Falls Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Falls Lake 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 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 60° ENE | 8:36 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 119° ESE | 5:05 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 42m |
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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Falls Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:24 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:41 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:36 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.96 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 73 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 95 | 105 | 105 | 104 | 100 | 101 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | -2 | 24 | 35 | 47 | 56 | 53 | 41 | 27 | 19 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 |
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 lake
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Falls Lake, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Falls Lake?
What time is golden hour at Falls Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Falls Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Falls Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Falls Lake?
How far is Falls Lake from Gorman?
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.