Kootenai Falls — a waterfall in Lincoln County, Montana at about 601 m (1,972 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.0 km (10.6 mi) WNW of Libby.
Kootenai Falls is a waterfall on the Kootenai River located in Lincoln County, Montana, just off U.S. Route 2. It is the largest undammed waterfall in the state and one of the largest waterfalls in the United States by flow rate. The falls is accessed by a foot trail from the parking area next to the highway. Historically a sacred site to the local Kootenai Tribe, the falls became a popular tourist destination in the 2010s due to the Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge just downstream. The bridge was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps to help with the US Forest Service's firefighting efforts. It has been rebuilt twice, most recently in 2019 to facilitate better safety for the increasing number of visitors. The bridge and falls have made appearances in movies such as The River Wild (1994) and The Revenant (2015).From the Wikipedia article “Kootenai Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kootenai Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:47 AM | 89° E | 7:56 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 52° NE | 9:49 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:33 AM | 126° SE | 4:51 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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 | 7:55 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:22 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:51 PM | 8h 45m |
| February | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:36 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:47 PM | 10:29 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:41 PM | 10:21 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:46 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:27 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:52 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:23 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 20m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Kootenai Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:32 AM – 4:52 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:27 AM – 3:27 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 1:21 AM – 2:01 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:34 AM – 1:14 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:07 PM – 11:17 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.89 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 July as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 41 | 46 | 60 | 76 | 81 | 94 | 94 | 101 | 89 | 79 | 56 | 40 |
| Low °F | -32 | -35 | -31 | 0 | 22 | 26 | 36 | 35 | 22 | 4 | -28 | -37 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Kootenai Falls, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Yaak Mtn. Lookout Rental16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Loon Lake Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi)
- Timberlane Campground17.9 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Kilbrennan Lake Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi)
- Yaak River Campground (Mt)19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kootenai Falls?
What time is golden hour at Kootenai Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kootenai Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kootenai Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kootenai Falls?
How far is Kootenai Falls from Libby?
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.