icy falls — a waterfall in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 70 km (44 mi) SE of Juneau.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At icy falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 40° (NE) at the June solstice and 137° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 321° (NW) in June to 224° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 9° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:52 AM | 40° NE | 10:01 PM | 321° NW | 56° | 18h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 88° E | 6:55 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:39 AM | 137° SE | 3:07 PM | 224° SW | 9° | 6h 29m |
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 | 7:39 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:47 AM | 2:21 PM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 7h 13m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 27m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:01 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 22m |
| May | 3:35 AM | 4:31 AM | 5:32 AM | 8:10 PM | 9:12 PM | 10:07 PM | 16h 41m |
| June | 2:38 AM | 3:52 AM | 5:02 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:59 PM | 11:13 PM | 18h 07m |
| July | 3:12 AM | 4:16 AM | 5:22 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:49 PM | 17h 29m |
| August | 4:32 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 21m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 50m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 21m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:51 AM | 2:28 PM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 7h 57m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:34 AM | 10:07 AM | 1:33 PM | 3:06 PM | 3:57 PM | 6h 32m |
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.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| December | Below 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 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 February as the clearest month (about 71% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (79%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 48 | 46 | 62 | 68 | 71 | 82 | 80 | 81 | 73 | 62 | 50 | 45 |
| Low °F | -9 | -2 | -5 | 13 | 26 | 38 | 42 | 44 | 36 | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.8 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 6.2 | 8.3 | 11.6 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 9.9 |
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
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- A 3-stop ND filter lets you use slow shutter speeds even when the light is bright.
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 icy falls, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph icy falls?
What time is golden hour at icy falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at icy falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from icy falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at icy falls?
How far is icy falls from Juneau?
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.