Nojoqui Falls is a waterfall in Santa Barbara County, California at about 309 m (1,014 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Solvang, about 8.1 km (5.0 mi) away (Nojoqui Falls lies SSW of town).
Nojoqui Falls (pronounced na-hoo-ui) is a seasonal waterfall in the Santa Barbara County, California, park of the same name.From the Wikipedia article “Nojoqui Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nojoqui Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 61° ENE | 8:17 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 118° ESE | 4:55 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Nojoqui Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 4:15 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:02 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:32 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:31 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.03 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 73 | 79 | 80 | 77 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 76 | 72 |
| Low °F | 41 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 51 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 52 | 46 | 44 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.0 |
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.
- 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 Nojoqui Falls, closest first.
Hot Spring
State Park
State Park
State Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nojoqui Falls?
What time is golden hour at Nojoqui Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nojoqui Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nojoqui Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nojoqui Falls?
How far is Nojoqui Falls from Solvang?
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.