Located in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska, Thunder Gorge Waterfall is a waterfall. It sits roughly 23 km (15 mi) N of Girdwood.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thunder Gorge Waterfall the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (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) | 7:58 AM | 89° E | 8:11 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:19 AM | 32° NNE | 11:39 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:41 AM | 88° E | 7:58 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:11 AM | 143° SE | 3:40 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 28m |
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 | 8:58 AM | 9:54 AM | 11:41 AM | 2:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 5:15 PM | 6h 25m |
| February | 7:54 AM | 8:39 AM | 9:47 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:29 PM | 9h 04m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:11 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:18 PM | 10:06 PM | 14h 42m |
| May | 4:00 AM | 5:10 AM | 6:21 AM | 9:26 PM | 10:37 PM | 11:47 PM | 17h 27m |
| June | — | 4:19 AM | 5:45 AM | 10:10 PM | 11:36 PM | — | 19h 17m |
| July | 3:18 AM | 4:50 AM | 6:08 AM | 9:58 PM | 11:16 PM | 12:48 AM | 18h 27m |
| August | 5:12 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:55 PM | 9:57 PM | 10:52 PM | 15h 51m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:21 PM | 9:05 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:56 AM | 8:39 AM | 9:41 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:30 PM | 10h 07m |
| November | 8:11 AM | 9:03 AM | 10:29 AM | 2:54 PM | 4:21 PM | 5:12 PM | 7h 18m |
| December | 9:05 AM | 10:06 AM | — | — | 3:39 PM | 4:40 PM | 5h 33m |
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 | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 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 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
- 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 Thunder Gorge Waterfall, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thunder Gorge Waterfall?
What time is golden hour at Thunder Gorge Waterfall?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thunder Gorge Waterfall?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thunder Gorge Waterfall?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thunder Gorge Waterfall?
How far is Thunder Gorge Waterfall from Girdwood?
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.