Bonnet Carre Spillway is a waterfall in Saint Charles Parish, Louisiana. The nearest town is Montz, about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away (Bonnet Carre Spillway lies E of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bonnet Carre Spillway 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 83° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 62° ENE | 8:07 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 117° ESE | 5:07 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Bonnet Carre Spillway, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:30 PM – 4:30 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:39 PM – 2:59 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 10:49 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:52 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 79 | 82 | 87 | 97 | 100 | 105 | 105 | 107 | 102 | 98 | 87 | 81 |
| Low °F | 18 | 23 | 22 | 36 | 41 | 58 | 64 | 57 | 49 | 34 | 22 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 5.4 |
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.
- 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 Bonnet Carre Spillway, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bonnet Carre Spillway?
What time is golden hour at Bonnet Carre Spillway?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bonnet Carre Spillway?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bonnet Carre Spillway?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bonnet Carre Spillway?
How far is Bonnet Carre Spillway from Montz?
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.