Helton Creek Falls is a waterfall in Union County, Georgia at about 677 m (2,221 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Young Harris, about 20 km (13 mi) away (Helton Creek Falls lies SSW of town).
Helton Creek Falls is a series of two big waterfalls located within the Chattahoochee National Forest in Union County, Georgia. The site is open to the public and free to visit. Access to the falls is provided by a gravel road and a 0.3 miles (0.48 km) trail. There are two wooden observation decks. The combined height of the lower and upper falls is more than 100 feet (30 m).From the Wikipedia article “Helton Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Helton Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:23 AM | 61° ENE | 8:53 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 118° ESE | 5:29 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 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 Helton Creek 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:51 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:28 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:00 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:07 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 ≈ 21.56 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
- 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 Helton Creek Falls, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
WaterfallMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area1.5 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Desoto Falls Recreation Area5.6 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Upper Chattahoochee River Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Andrew'S Cove Campground14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Creek Campground (Ga)16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Helton Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Helton Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Helton Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Helton Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Helton Creek Falls?
How far is Helton Creek Falls from Young Harris?
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.