Black Falls — a waterfall in Winneshiek County, Iowa at about 327 m (1,073 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.1 km (5.7 mi) ENE of Cresco.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:35 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 59m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Black Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 49 | 61 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 96 | 102 | 99 | 92 | 82 | 73 | 63 |
| Low °F | -35 | -21 | -20 | 9 | 25 | 39 | 46 | 41 | 31 | 19 | 0 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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.
- 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 Black Falls, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Falls?
What time is golden hour at Black Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Falls?
How far is Black Falls from Cresco?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.