Bridal Veil Falls — a waterfall in Cleburne County, Arkansas at about 163 m (535 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.5 km (1.6 mi) SSW of Heber Springs.
Bridal Veil Falls is a natural waterfall, located in Cleburne County, Arkansas, outside of Heber Springs. It is actually two falls in close proximity leading some to refer to one as Bridal Veil Falls, and the other as Cornelius Falls for the first owner of the property, John H. Cornelius, which was the original name for both. Cornelius originally obtained the property where the falls are located in 1894 through the US Homestead Act of 1862. The Cornelius family retained ownership until around 1903. The property continued to be privately owned but freely used by the public for many years. It was acquired by the Young Business Men's club of Heber Springs in the 1980s, and officially made available for public use. The Heber Springs City Parks and Recreation Department negotiated an agreement in 2012 with the YBMV to improve and maintain the falls and surrounding area for the public. The...From the Wikipedia article “Bridal Veil Falls (Arkansas)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridal Veil Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 60° ENE | 8:27 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 119° ESE | 5:00 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 47m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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
From Bridal Veil Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 4:16 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:14 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:39 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:32 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:33 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.14 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 72 | 77 | 83 | 90 | 95 | 107 | 108 | 114 | 102 | 93 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | -2 | 9 | 22 | 35 | 53 | 56 | 52 | 42 | 28 | 17 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Heber Springs4.6 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- John F Kennedy6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Dam Site(Greers Ferry)6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Old Highway 257.3 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Dam Site Campground7.5 km (4.7 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridal Veil Falls?
What time is golden hour at Bridal Veil Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridal Veil Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bridal Veil Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bridal Veil Falls?
How far is Bridal Veil Falls from Heber Springs?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. 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.