Steinhatchee Falls is a waterfall in Taylor County, Florida. The nearest town is Steinhatchee, about 9.5 km (5.9 mi) away (Steinhatchee Falls lies NNE of town).
Steinhatchee Falls and Steinhatchee Rise are tracts of protected lands in Florida named for aquatic features. Steinhatchee Falls includes 1,766 acres (715 ha), and Steinhatchee Rise covers 3,559 acres (1,440 ha). Steinhatchee Falls is in southeastern Taylor County, Florida. Steinhatchee Rise is in southwestern Dixie County, Florida. The area around the falls is floodplain swamp, bottom land forest, pine plantation, and mixed hardwood forest. The area around Steinhatchee Rise contains also includes floodplain swamp, bottom land forest, pine plantation, and mixed hardwood forest as well as mesic woods and wet flat woods. Animal species in the area include gopher tortoise, wading birds, wild hog, swallow-tailed kite, Swainson's warbler, deer, turkey, and squirrel. A trailhead for the Steinhatchee Trail Tennille Trail is on Florida SR 51.From the Wikipedia article “Steinhatchee Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Steinhatchee 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 62° ENE | 8:38 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 117° ESE | 5:39 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 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 | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Steinhatchee 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 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 6:21 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 5:10 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:23 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (66%). August 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 | 72 | 73 | 76 | 80 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 87 | 81 | 75 |
| Low °F | 32 | 39 | 44 | 52 | 60 | 71 | 77 | 76 | 66 | 54 | 43 | 40 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 6.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Steinhatchee Falls?
What time is golden hour at Steinhatchee Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Steinhatchee Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Steinhatchee Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Steinhatchee Falls?
How far is Steinhatchee Falls from Steinhatchee?
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.