Located in Butte County, California, Feather Falls is a waterfall at about 498 m (1,634 ft) above sea level. It is part of Plumas National Forest. The nearest town is Berry Creek, about 11.0 km (6.8 mi) away (Feather Falls lies E of town).
Feather Falls is a waterfall located on the Fall River, a tributary of the Middle Fork Feather River, within the Plumas National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Butte County, eastern California, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Feather Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Feather Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Feather Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 74 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 100 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 99 | 85 | 69 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 31 | 14 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 7.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Feather Falls, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Lake
Covered Bridge
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Frenchy Point Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Grizzly Creek Campground (Ca)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Garden Point Boat-In Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Little Beaver A Campground 27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Feather Falls?
What time is golden hour at Feather Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Feather Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Feather Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Feather Falls?
How far is Feather Falls from Berry Creek?
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.