Rainbow Falls — a waterfall in Cascade County, Montana at about 977 m (3,205 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Malmstrom Air Force Base, about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) away (Rainbow Falls lies NNW of town).
Rainbow Falls (originally "Handsome Falls") is a waterfall on the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana, just upstream from Crooked Falls and downstream from Colter Falls and Rainbow Dam. It is 47 feet (14m) high and 1,320 feet (402.3m) wide. The waterfall is part of the five Great Falls of the Missouri. The river spills over a sheer ledge of sandstone in the Kootenai Formation, forming the falls. The falls used to flow with a great deal of force year-round. In 1914 the river shortly upstream was dammed for hydroelectric power by the Rainbow Dam, which forms a run-of-the-river reservoir. As a result, the falls can almost totally dry up in the summer with only a few narrow strips of water trickling down its face. A railroad bridge crosses the river directly above the falls.From the Wikipedia article “Rainbow Falls (Missouri River)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rainbow Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 53° NE | 9:27 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:11 AM | 125° SE | 4:37 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:11 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:05 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:09 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 9:00 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Rainbow Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:54 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:59 AM – 4:39 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:58 AM – 3:18 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:29 AM – 2:19 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:00 AM – 1:20 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:43 PM – 11:13 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.15 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 March as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 55 | 59 | 76 | 84 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 93 | 86 | 69 | 53 |
| Low °F | -30 | -26 | -25 | 7 | 18 | 34 | 42 | 40 | 18 | 5 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
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
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- 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.
- 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 Rainbow Falls, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rainbow Falls?
What time is golden hour at Rainbow Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rainbow Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rainbow Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rainbow Falls?
How far is Rainbow Falls from Malmstrom Air Force Base?
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.