Rainbow Falls — a waterfall in Madera County, California at about 2,200 m (7,218 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Devils Postpile National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, about 11.1 km (6.9 mi) away (Rainbow Falls lies WSW of town).
Rainbow Falls is the highest waterfall on the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River, in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, in the United States. Plunging 101 feet (31 m) to the turbulent water below, the falls are named for the rainbows that appear in their mist on sunny summer days. Rainbow Falls is located within the boundaries of Devils Postpile National Monument. About 75,000 years ago, lava erupted from a vent just east of the present-day falls. The eruption occurred in two stages. The first pulse of lava flowed about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) westward and pooled in the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin drainage. The second pulse of lava insulated the first, allowing it to cool slowly and to fracture vertically. The layer above cooled under different conditions and fractured horizontally. Geologists describe these rocks as platy rhyodacite; they are visible in the cliffs...From the Wikipedia article “Rainbow Falls (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rainbow 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:22 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Rainbow Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Rainbow Falls, closest first.
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassWaterfall
Natural Arch
LakeHot Spring
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pumice Flat Group Camp5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Lake Mary Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Twin Lakes Campground6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Coldwater Campground - Inyo Nf (Ca)7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Agnew Meadows Group Camp9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rainbow Falls?
What time is golden hour at Rainbow Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rainbow Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rainbow Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rainbow Falls?
How far is Rainbow Falls from Mammoth Lakes?
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.