Lower Deer Creek Falls is a waterfall in Tehama County, California at about 963 m (3,159 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 33 km (20 mi) NNE of Forest Ranch.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Deer Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 121° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Lower Deer Creek 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 14% 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 | 59 | 64 | 65 | 74 | 88 | 94 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | -1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 21 | -2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 7.1 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Lower Deer Creek Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Potato Patch Campground4.7 km (2.9 mi)
- Butte Meadows Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi)
- Black Rock Campground11.2 km (7.0 mi)
- Elam Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi)
- Hole-In-The-Ground Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Deer Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Lower Deer Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Deer Creek Falls?
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How far is Lower Deer Creek Falls from Forest Ranch?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.