The Jams — a waterfall in Lake County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Clearlake, about 8.9 km (5.5 mi) away (The Jams lies E of town).
The Jams is a 30-foot (9.1 m) waterfall along Cache Creek in Lake County, California. The Jams is a three tiered waterfall located approximately three miles (4.8 km) upstream of the confluence with the North Fork Cache Creek. Each of the tiers are approximately ten feet (3.0 m) tall. The lowest tier is an above ground waterfall while the upper two tiers cascade underground through talus caves caused by boulders falling off the surrounding cliffs and into the creek channel. The Jams is a class VI rapid during high flows and is completely impassable since the river flows into the boulders and through the talus caves. In 2003, J. R. Owens drowned when he got caught in the rapids, an area too dangerous from which to retrieve his remains.From the Wikipedia article “The Jams”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Jams 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 59° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:52 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 27m |
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 The Jams, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.98 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 87 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 107 | 112 | 103 | 87 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 48 | 48 | 45 | 37 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 6.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 The Jams, closest first.
Wilderness Area
State Park
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph The Jams?
What time is golden hour at The Jams?
Where does the sun rise and set at The Jams?
Can you see the Milky Way from The Jams?
Do you need a permit to photograph at The Jams?
How far is The Jams from Clearlake?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.