Glendale Falls is a waterfall in Hampshire County, Massachusetts at about 325 m (1,066 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Becket, about 9.8 km (6.1 mi) away (Glendale Falls lies ENE of town).
Glendale Falls is a waterfall and the name of an open space preserve in Middlefield, Massachusetts owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations. The falls, fed by the waters of Glendale Brook are one of the longest waterfall runs in Massachusetts. Adjacent to the falls on the north side lies the stone foundation of an 18th-century grist mill operated by the long-defunct Glendale Farm. The farm was established in the early 1770s by a future Revolutionary War veteran named John Rhoads. The initial success of the farm led to the construction of what is now Clark Wright Road, the sole means of accessing the falls by car. The farm was not successful for long, however; by 1799 the property was sold and Rhoads was gone. The preserve was established in 1964.From the Wikipedia article “Glendale Falls (Massachusetts)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glendale Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:33 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Glendale Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:34 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.6 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% 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 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Glendale Falls, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glendale Falls?
What time is golden hour at Glendale Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glendale Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glendale Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glendale Falls?
How far is Glendale Falls from Becket?
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.