Wallace Falls State Park is a state park in Snohomish County, Washington. The nearest town is Gold Bar, about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) away (Wallace Falls State Park lies ENE of town).
Wallace Falls State Park is a public recreation area that encompasses 1,380 acres (560 ha) along the Wallace River in Snohomish County, Washington. The state park is located on the west side of the Cascade Mountains with an entrance point one mile (1.6 km) northeast of the community of Gold Bar. The park features three waterfalls, three backcountry lakes, old-growth coniferous forests, rushing mountain rivers and streams, and the evidence of its logging history in the ruins of railroad trestles, disused railroad grades, and springboard notches in stumps.From the Wikipedia article “Wallace Falls State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wallace Falls State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:10 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 125° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:49 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 25m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Wallace Falls State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:42 AM – 4:12 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:17 AM – 1:57 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:46 PM – 12:56 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:56 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). August 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Wallace Falls State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Mountain PeakWaterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Heybrook Lookout11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Troublesome Creek Campground19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Boardman Group Camp22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Red Bridge Campground 22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Esswine Group Camp23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wallace Falls State Park?
What time is golden hour at Wallace Falls State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wallace Falls State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wallace Falls State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wallace Falls State Park?
How far is Wallace Falls State Park from Gold Bar?
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.