Waterfalls in Alaska: 77 Photo Spots, Light & Night Sky Guide

Name	County	Elevation	Nearest town	Sky
Brooks FallsKatmai	Lake and Peninsula Borough	29 m	Kodiak	1
Nugget Falls	Juneau City and Borough	—	Juneau	3
Wolverine FallsKatmai	Lake and Peninsula Borough	152 m	Kodiak	1
Bridal Veil Falls	Chugach Census Area	—	Valdez	1
Thunderbird Falls	Anchorage Municipality	—	Knik-Fairview	4
McNeil Falls	Lake and Peninsula Borough	—	Homer	1
Thunder Bird Falls	Anchorage Municipality	112 m	Knik-Fairview	4
Lower Reid Falls	Skagway Municipality	134 m	Skagway	1
Whiting Falls	Chugach Census Area	227 m	Palmer	1
Chitistone Falls	Copper River Census Area	1,150 m		1
Cheshnina Falls	Copper River Census Area	1,407 m		1
Liberty Falls	Copper River Census Area	354 m		1
Pitchfork Falls	Skagway Municipality	642 m	Skagway	1
Rudleston Falls	Chugach Census Area	236 m	Valdez	1
Horsetail Falls	Chugach Census Area	142 m	Valdez	1
Ebner Falls	Juneau City and Borough	266 m	Juneau	6
Rainbow Falls	City and Borough of Wrangell	184 m	Wrangell	1
Golden Gate Falls	Bethel Census Area	233 m	Bethel	1
Upper Falls	Bethel Census Area	320 m	Bethel	1
Lower Falls	Bethel Census Area	258 m	Bethel	1
Silver Salmon Falls	Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	33 m	Craig	1
Rapid Falls	Copper River Census Area	—	Badger	1
Tanalian Falls	Lake and Peninsula Borough	—	Homer	1
Russian River Falls	Kenai Peninsula Borough	—	Funny River	2
Juneau Falls	Kenai Peninsula Borough	—	Funny River	2
Chenik Falls	Lake and Peninsula Borough	—	Homer	1
Bear Mountain Waterfall	Sitka City and Borough	—	Sitka	3
Jakolof Falls	Kenai Peninsula Borough	—	Homer	1
Kvasnikoff Falls	Kenai Peninsula Borough	—	Fritz Creek	1
Bridalveil Falls	Chugach Census Area	—	Valdez	1
Indian River Falls	Sitka City and Borough	—	Sitka	3
Upper Reid Falls	Skagway Municipality	—	Skagway	1
Fulton Falls	Kodiak Island Borough	—	Kodiak	1
icy falls	Juneau City and Borough	—	Juneau	1
Eska Falls	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	—	Sutton-Alpine	2
Thunder Gorge Waterfall	Anchorage Municipality	—	Girdwood	3
South Fork Falls	Anchorage Municipality	—	Eagle River	5
Heritage Falls	Anchorage Municipality	—	Elmendorf Air Force Base	3
Tutka Falls	Kenai Peninsula Borough	—	Homer	1
AJ Falls	Juneau City and Borough	—	Juneau	3
McKinley Falls	Haines Borough	—	Haines	1
Virgin Creek Falls	Anchorage Municipality	—	Girdwood	2
Amna Waterfall	Aleutians West Census Area	—		1
Niagara Falls	Anchorage Municipality	—	Anchorage	4
Mystery Falls	Anchorage Municipality	—	Girdwood	3
Serenity Falls	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	—	Butte	3
Anderson Falls	Chugach Census Area	—	Valdez	1
Kasnyku Falls	Sitka City and Borough	28 m	Sitka	1
Lost Rocker Falls	Juneau City and Borough	200 m	Juneau	4
Nutkwa Falls	Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	11 m	Craig	1
Silver Falls	Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	140 m	Ketchikan	1
Sockeye Falls	Petersburg Borough	68 m	Craig	1
Suicide Falls	Juneau City and Borough	107 m	Juneau	5
Sweetheart Falls	Juneau City and Borough	160 m	Juneau	1
Wolf Pass Falls	Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	584 m	Craig	1
Alaska Chief Falls	Juneau City and Borough	344 m	Juneau	5
Beaver Falls	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	377 m	Ketchikan	3
Bridal Veil Falls	Skagway Municipality	874 m	Skagway	1
The Falls	Hoonah-Angoon Census Area	8 m	Sitka	1
Fish Ladder	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	42 m	Ketchikan	1
Hidden Falls	Sitka City and Borough	12 m	Sitka	1
Bridal Veil Falls	Chugach Census Area	355 m	Valdez	1
Cynthia Falls	Kenai Peninsula Borough	187 m	Homer	1
The Falls	Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	404 m		1
Fultons Falls	Kodiak Island Borough	225 m	Kodiak	1
Kolevokharit Koygut Falls	Dillingham Census Area	201 m	Bethel	1
Ohman Falls	Chugach Census Area	97 m	Cordova	1
Petrof Falls	Lake and Peninsula Borough	62 m	Homer	1
Sahlin Falls	Chugach Census Area	78 m	Cordova	1
Tikchik Falls	Dillingham Census Area	109 m	Bethel	1
Kvasnikoff FallsKenai Fjords	Kenai Peninsula Borough	573 m	Fritz Creek	1
Big Goat Lake Falls	Ketchikan Gateway Borough	558 m	Ketchikan	1
Rotary Falls	Matanuska-Susitna Borough	700 m	Fishhook	4
Cape Cheerful Cascade	Aleutians West Census Area	26 m	Dutch Harbor	2
Grindstone Falls	Juneau City and Borough	—	Juneau	3
White Falls	Aleutians West Census Area	—		1
White Falls	Aleutians West Census Area	—		1

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph waterfalls

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.

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.
Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.

Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.