Located in Rabun County, Georgia, Becky Branch Falls is a waterfall. It sits roughly 4.7 km (2.9 mi) E of Clayton.
Becky Branch Falls is a twenty-foot waterfall located in Rabun County, Georgia. The waterfall is located on the Bartram Trail (designated as a National Scenic Trail in Georgia) in a valley called Warwoman Dell, east of Clayton, Georgia. In addition to accessing the falls via the Bartram Trail at the point where the trail crosses Warwoman Road, there is a short 0.6 mile loop trail called Becky Branch Falls Trail. This alternative trail connects is also accessed at the point where the Bartram Trail crosses Warwoman Road. The Bartram Trail also continues to nearby Martin Creek Falls. Becky Branch Falls is located within the boundaries of the Chattooga River Ranger District of the Chattahoochee National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Becky Branch Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Becky Branch Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:21 AM | 60° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 119° ESE | 5:27 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Becky Branch Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 5:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 1:06 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:57 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Becky Branch Falls, closest first.
Mountain Pass
WaterfallMountain PassMountain PassMountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfallMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sarah'S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga) 9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Whetstone Horse Camp11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Willis Knob Horse Camp11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Campground (Clayton, Ga) 15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Cassidy Bridge Primitive Camp16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Becky Branch Falls?
What time is golden hour at Becky Branch Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Becky Branch Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Becky Branch Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Becky Branch Falls?
How far is Becky Branch Falls from Clayton?
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.