Located in Mono County, California, Leavitt Falls is a waterfall at about 2,368 m (7,769 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Topaz Ranch Estates, about 47 km (29 mi) away (Leavitt Falls lies S of town).
Leavitt Falls is a 200-foot (61 m), multi-tiered waterfall in the Sierra Nevada of Mono County, California. The falls are located on Leavitt Creek, a tributary of the West Walker River and are formed where the creek drops off the edge of a hanging valley into Leavitt Meadow. A turnout on Highway 108 provides a view of the falls and meadow. The falls themselves are not accessible by trail, as they are located in a steep narrow box canyon. The waterfall and other nearby features are named for Hiram Leavitt, an early settler in Mono County.From the Wikipedia article “Leavitt Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Leavitt Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:26 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Leavitt Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 98 | 93 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | -6 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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.
- 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 Leavitt Falls, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Hot Spring
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Leavitt Meadows2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Sonora Bridge8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Obsidian10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Obsidian Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi)
- Chris Flat12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Leavitt Falls?
What time is golden hour at Leavitt Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Leavitt Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Leavitt Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Leavitt Falls?
How far is Leavitt Falls from Topaz Ranch Estates?
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.