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58.4224° N134.5350° WBortle 3Juneau

AJ Falls Photography Guide

Waterfall in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 223°–322°
  • Clearest: May

AJ Falls is a waterfall in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska. It sits roughly 15.0 km (9.3 mi) NNW of Juneau.

Nearest town
Juneau
15.0 km (9.3 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
May
74% cloud
Golden hour (Oct)
4:58 PM
sunset 5:54 PM

Light at AJ Falls

Live
Sunrise
7:46 AM
Sunset
5:41 PM
Golden hour AM
7:21 AM – 8:44 AM
Golden hour PM
4:43 PM – 6:06 PM
Blue hour AM
7:06 AM – 7:21 AM
Blue hour PM
6:06 PM – 6:22 PM
Full darkness
7:54 PM – 5:36 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:15 PM / 12:22 AM
Day length
9h 54m
Sunrise azimuth
109°
Sunset azimuth
251°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Juneau. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At AJ Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 39° (NE) at the June solstice and 138° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 322° (NW) in June to 223° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:00 AM89° E7:12 PM271° W32°12h 12m
June solstice (Jun 21)3:51 AM39° NE10:10 PM322° NW55°18h 19m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:44 AM88° E7:00 PM272° W32°12h 16m
December solstice (Dec 21)8:47 AM138° SE3:07 PM223° SW8°6h 20m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:46 AM8:35 AM9:57 AM2:19 PM3:41 PM4:31 PM7h 07m
February6:50 AM7:32 AM8:32 AM3:55 PM4:55 PM5:37 PM9h 23m
March6:35 AM7:15 AM8:08 AM6:08 PM7:01 PM7:40 PM11h 46m
April5:03 AM5:46 AM6:40 AM7:17 PM8:11 PM8:55 PM14h 25m
May3:34 AM4:32 AM5:34 AM8:16 PM9:19 PM10:16 PM16h 47m
June2:33 AM3:51 AM5:04 AM8:55 PM10:07 PM11:26 PM18h 16m
July3:10 AM4:16 AM5:24 AM8:46 PM9:53 PM11:00 PM17h 37m
August4:33 AM5:21 AM6:18 AM7:50 PM8:46 PM9:34 PM15h 26m
September5:48 AM6:29 AM7:21 AM6:28 PM7:20 PM8:00 PM12h 51m
October6:55 AM7:35 AM8:31 AM4:58 PM5:54 PM6:34 PM10h 19m
November7:02 AM7:48 AM9:00 AM2:27 PM3:39 PM4:25 PM7h 51m
December7:50 AM8:42 AM10:20 AM1:28 PM3:06 PM3:59 PM6h 24m

Local time (America/Juneau), 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

The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-11°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
MarchBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
AprilBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
MayBelow 10° in darkness—0°—
JuneNo darkness———
JulyNo darkness———
AugustBelow 10° in darkness—0°—
SeptemberBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-10°—
DecemberBelow 10° in darkness—-21°—

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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.

Weather & best season

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (81%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F413645486071737367554438
Low °F-27-22-19-310323536271-19-23
Precip. (in)13.09.38.16.96.05.97.910.814.714.813.013.3

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

  • 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.
  • Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.

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.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of AJ Falls, closest first.

Scenic Viewpoint
(overgrown viewpoint)0.4 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Nugget FallsWaterfall
Nugget Falls0.5 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Scenic Viewpoint
Pavilion0.9 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Mendenhall LakeLake
Mendenhall Lake2.0 km away · Juneau City and Borough · 15 m
Auke LakeLake
Auke Lake6.8 km away · Juneau City and Borough · 8 m
Mendenhall GlacierGlacier
Mendenhall Glacier8.2 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Lighthouse
Tee Harbor Light13 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Mount JuneauMountain Peak
Mount Juneau14 km away · Juneau City and Borough · 1,058 m
Lighthouse
Portland Island Light15 km away · Juneau City and Borough

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph AJ Falls?
May has the clearest skies on average. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
What time is golden hour at AJ Falls?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 4:58 PM and ends after sunset at about 5:54 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:31 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at AJ Falls?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 39° in June to 138° in December; sunset ranges from 322° to 223°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from AJ Falls?
The Milky Way core stays very low or the nights are too bright at this latitude. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at AJ Falls?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is AJ Falls from Juneau?
About 15.0 km (9.3 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

Sources

Location data: OpenStreetMap contributors. 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.