Thunder Bird Falls — a waterfall in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska at about 112 m (367 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 15.0 km (9.3 mi) ESE of Knik-Fairview.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thunder Bird Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 31° (NNE) at the June solstice and 144° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:59 AM | 89° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:16 AM | 31° NNE | 11:44 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:42 AM | 88° E | 8:00 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:15 AM | 144° SE | 3:37 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 22m |
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 | 9:01 AM | 9:57 AM | 11:49 AM | 2:26 PM | 4:18 PM | 5:14 PM | 6h 20m |
| February | 7:55 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:50 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:30 PM | 9h 02m |
| March | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:13 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:20 PM | 10:09 PM | 14h 44m |
| May | 3:57 AM | 5:09 AM | 6:21 AM | 9:29 PM | 10:41 PM | 11:52 PM | 17h 32m |
| June | — | 4:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 10:13 PM | 11:41 PM | — | 19h 25m |
| July | 3:11 AM | 4:48 AM | 6:07 AM | 10:01 PM | 11:20 PM | 12:57 AM | 18h 33m |
| August | 5:11 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:56 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:55 PM | 15h 54m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:57 AM | 8:41 AM | 9:44 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:31 PM | 10h 05m |
| November | 8:14 AM | 9:06 AM | 10:35 AM | 2:51 PM | 4:20 PM | 5:12 PM | 7h 14m |
| December | 9:08 AM | 10:10 AM | — | — | 3:37 PM | 4:39 PM | 5h 26m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 ≈ 21.19 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 63% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 40 | 40 | 52 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 67 | 56 | 43 | 39 |
| Low °F | -25 | -20 | -21 | -1 | 15 | 33 | 39 | 35 | 19 | -1 | -18 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Thunder Bird Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Lake
Lake
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thunder Bird Falls?
What time is golden hour at Thunder Bird Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thunder Bird Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thunder Bird Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thunder Bird Falls?
How far is Thunder Bird Falls from Knik-Fairview?
Sources
Location data: OpenStreetMap contributors, USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.