Located in Inyo County, California, Darwin Falls is a waterfall at about 850 m (2,789 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Lone Pine, about 58 km (36 mi) away (Darwin Falls lies ESE of town).
Darwin Falls is a waterfall located on the western edge of Death Valley National Park near the settlement of Panamint Springs, California. Although there exists a similarly named Darwin Falls Wilderness adjacent to the falls, the falls themselves are located in and administered by Death Valley National Park and the National Park Service. There are several falls, but they are mainly divided into the upper and lower, with a small grotto in between. At a combined 80 feet (24 m), it is the highest waterfall in the park. The canyon is walled by dramatic plutonic rock. Darwin Creek is one of the four perennial streams in three million-acre (12,000 km2) Death Valley National Park. Darwin Falls and Creek are fed by the Darwin Wash, which is in turn fed by the volcanic tableland of the Darwin Bench between the Inyo Mountains and the Argus Range. The small, narrow valley where the creek and...From the Wikipedia article “Darwin Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Darwin 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 60° ENE | 8:12 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 119° ESE | 4:39 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Darwin Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:38 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 76 | 78 | 86 | 93 | 103 | 111 | 110 | 110 | 105 | 96 | 82 | 72 |
| Low °F | 17 | 21 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 59 | 55 | 43 | 26 | 21 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Darwin Falls, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Sand DunesFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Darwin Falls?
What time is golden hour at Darwin Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Darwin Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Darwin Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Darwin Falls?
How far is Darwin Falls from Lone Pine?
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.