Little River Falls — a waterfall in DeKalb County, Alabama at about 350 m (1,148 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Little River Canyon National Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Fort Payne, about 10.1 km (6.3 mi) away (Little River Falls lies ESE of town).
Little River Falls is located within the Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama, United States. It marks the beginning of the Little River Canyon. On April 8, 2014, the falls set a record water flow of more than 11,000 cubic feet per second. This broke the old record set in 1964.From the Wikipedia article “Little River Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little River Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 61° ENE | 7:59 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:37 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:06 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Little River Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:33 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 3:57 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 3:43 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:39 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:14 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 10:16 PM | 2.0 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.23 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 72 | 77 | 84 | 86 | 94 | 107 | 105 | 105 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 37 | 51 | 55 | 53 | 40 | 28 | 18 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
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 waterfall
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Little River Falls, closest first.
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When is the best time to photograph Little River Falls?
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Where does the sun rise and set at Little River Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little River Falls?
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How far is Little River Falls from Fort Payne?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.