Angel Falls — a waterfall in Franklin County, Maine at about 474 m (1,555 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) NNW of Mexico.
Angel Falls is a 90-foot (27 m) waterfall on Mountain Brook in Township D – northwest of Houghton – in the White Mountains of Franklin County, Maine. The "remarkably scenic" Angel Falls is a set of plunging tiers totaling 90 feet (27 m) in height, and with surrounding cliffs of 115 feet (35 m) in height. Flowing out of a 25-foot-wide gap (7.6 m) in the cliff, it is thought by many to be the tallest waterfall in Maine, tied for height with Moxie Falls, though this is not the case; as Katahdin Falls, also in Maine, is some 710 feet (220 m) taller. Angel Falls is so named as, when the water flow is right, the falls appear as an angel.From the Wikipedia article “Angel Falls (Maine)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Angel Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:58 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 123° ESE | 4:05 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:41 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 4:57 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 4:36 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:03 PM | 4:37 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Angel Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 3:02 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 2:21 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 1:06 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:05 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 51 | 59 | 72 | 76 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 89 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 56 |
| Low °F | -25 | -31 | -23 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 46 | 42 | 31 | 21 | -2 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Angel Falls, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Angel Falls?
What time is golden hour at Angel Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Angel Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Angel Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Angel Falls?
How far is Angel Falls from Mexico?
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.