Tioga Falls — a waterfall in Meade County, Kentucky — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Fort Knox, about 7.8 km (4.8 mi) away (Tioga Falls lies N of town).
Tioga Falls is a 130-foot waterfall located near the outskirts of West Point, Kentucky. The falls are fed from the nearby Tioga Creek, a tributary to the Ohio River. The falls are accessed by way of a 1.8 mi (2.9 km) trial managed by the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Knox. As Tioga Falls are within the boundaries of the military base, the trail is periodically closed to the public for safety reasons.From the Wikipedia article “Tioga Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tioga Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:48 AM | 90° E | 7:56 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:22 AM | 59° ENE | 9:10 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:32 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 120° ESE | 5:29 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:30 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:39 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 6:03 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Tioga Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 5:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:49 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 4:24 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 12:57 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:23 PM – 10:53 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:35 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 69 | 73 | 82 | 84 | 91 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 101 | 98 | 83 | 71 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 0 | 22 | 34 | 46 | 53 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 8 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
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 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Tioga Falls, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tioga Falls?
What time is golden hour at Tioga Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tioga Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tioga Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tioga Falls?
How far is Tioga Falls from Fort Knox?
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.