Potem Falls — a waterfall in Shasta County, California at about 359 m (1,178 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) NE of Bella Vista.
The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S. that cross the Cascade Range. The longest tributary of the Sacramento River, it contributes as much as eighty percent of their combined water volume into the Shasta Lake reservoir; the junction of their Shasta Lake arms is 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Shasta Dam. The main stem of the Pit River is 207 miles (333 km) long, and some water in the system flows 265 miles (426 km) to the Sacramento River measuring from the Pit River's longest source. The Pit River drains a sparsely populated volcanic highlands area in Modoc County's Warner Mountains, passing through the south end of the Cascade Range in a deep canyon northeast of Redding. The river is so named because of the semi-subterranean permanent winter...From the Wikipedia article “Pit River”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Potem 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:44 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 121° ESE | 4:44 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Potem Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:00 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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
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 (61%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 83 | 89 | 101 | 112 | 118 | 114 | 111 | 102 | 86 | 69 |
| Low °F | 14 | 21 | 24 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 50 | 40 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.0 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 8.3 |
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.
- 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 Potem Falls, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Hot SpringHot Spring
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Moore Creek16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Hirz Cabin17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Dekkas Rock18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Hirz Bay19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Hirz Bay Group 119.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Potem Falls?
What time is golden hour at Potem Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Potem Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Potem Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Potem Falls?
How far is Potem Falls from Bella Vista?
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.