Falling Creek Falls — a waterfall in Columbia County, Florida — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Five Points, about 5.8 km (3.6 mi) away (Falling Creek Falls lies NNW of town).
Falling Creek Falls is a 10-foot (3 m) waterfall on 204 acres (83 ha) jointly managed by the Suwannee River Water Management District and Columbia County, Florida. Located north of Lake City, Florida, boardwalk access to the waterfall starts at a parking lot located on the east-side of County Road 131 just north of the 441/I-10 interchange. The park's address and boardwalk trailhead is at 953 Northwest Falling Creek Road, Lake City, FL 32055. Falling Creek Falls was opened to the public in October 2001 as a joint project between the Suwannee River Water Management District and Columbia County after the property was purchased from the Parker & Hogan families "to protect and preserve the Falls for present and future generations".From the Wikipedia article “Falling Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Falling Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:30 AM | 62° ENE | 8:36 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 117° ESE | 5:35 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 12m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Falling Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 6:19 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 1:20 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:21 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.11 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 83 | 87 | 94 | 96 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 89 | 84 |
| Low °F | 17 | 20 | 23 | 34 | 48 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 52 | 32 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 3.4 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Falling Creek Falls, closest first.
State Park
Lake
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Falling Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Falling Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Falling Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Falling Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Falling Creek Falls?
How far is Falling Creek Falls from Five Points?
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.