Located in Alger County, Michigan, Alger Falls is a waterfall at about 199 m (653 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Munising, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (Alger Falls lies S of town).
Alger Falls is a waterfall located along highway M-28 (Michigan highway) in Alger County, Michigan near Munising at the junction with M-94. The falls consist of a series of drops, the highest of which is about 15 feet (4.6 m). The falls can be seen from the highway. The level of water coming over the falls can vary greatly depending on snow melt or rainfall.From the Wikipedia article “Alger Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alger Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:51 AM | 90° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 54° NE | 9:43 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:34 AM | 89° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:28 AM | 124° SE | 5:03 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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 | 7:53 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:34 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:49 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:55 PM | 9:41 PM | 10:20 PM | 15h 47m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:37 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:45 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:10 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 37m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Alger Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 6:04 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 2:01 AM – 3:51 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:09 AM – 1:49 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:59 PM – 11:49 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:44 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 68% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 40 | 45 | 67 | 69 | 80 | 82 | 90 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 63 | 53 |
| Low °F | -12 | -17 | -12 | 10 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 35 | 25 | 8 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
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.
- 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 Alger Falls, closest first.
State ParkWaterfall
Waterfall
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grand Island National Recreation Area5.9 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Bay Furnace Campground6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Grand Island Cabins10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Hovey Lake Campsites12.3 km (7.6 mi)
- Island Lake13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alger Falls?
What time is golden hour at Alger Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alger Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alger Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alger Falls?
How far is Alger Falls from Munising?
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.