Located in Madera County, California, Corlieu Falls is a waterfall at about 1,115 m (3,658 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Oakhurst, about 10.0 km (6.2 mi) away (Corlieu Falls lies NNE of town).
Corlieu Falls is a waterfall on Lewis Creek in the Sierra National Forest, near Sugar Pine in Madera County, California. The falls are named for Charles Clifford Corlieu, who lived near the site in the early 20th century. They are located along the Lewis Creek National Recreation Trail, which is accessible from California State Route 41. In the 1980s, a proposed hydroelectric project that would have diverted water above the falls was opposed by environmental groups and the Chukchansi and became the subject of federal litigation.From the Wikipedia article “Corlieu Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Corlieu Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 59° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 119° ESE | 4:45 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 36m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Corlieu Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Corlieu Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Covered Bridge
Fire Lookout
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Soquel Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Texas Flats7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Kelty Meadow7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Summerdale Campground8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Chilkoot9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Corlieu Falls?
What time is golden hour at Corlieu Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Corlieu Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Corlieu Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Corlieu Falls?
How far is Corlieu Falls from Oakhurst?
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.