Smalls Falls is a waterfall in Franklin County, Maine at about 340 m (1,115 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Phillips, about 14.5 km (9.0 mi) away (Smalls Falls lies WNW of town).
Smalls Falls, a waterfall in Maine, is a series of waterfalls and cascades on the Sandy River in Township E, West Central Franklin, Maine, in the United States. It totals 54 feet (16 m) in height, and consists of (from top to bottom) a 12-foot slide/horsetail, a 25-foot segmented waterfall, a 14-foot horsetail, and a 3-foot cascade, separated by pools. A rest area on Maine Route 4 provides access to the falls; the rest area includes pit toilets, parking and picnic tables.From the Wikipedia article “Smalls Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smalls 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) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:57 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 123° ESE | 4:04 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 | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:40 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 4:56 AM | 5:41 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:35 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:02 PM | 4:36 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 Smalls 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 | 4:46 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:04 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:05 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:04 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:05 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 ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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.
- 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 Smalls Falls, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkLake
Waterfall
State ParkLakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smalls Falls?
What time is golden hour at Smalls Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smalls Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smalls Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smalls Falls?
How far is Smalls Falls from Phillips?
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.