Smith Falls is a waterfall in Cherry County, Nebraska at about 711 m (2,333 ft) above sea level. It is part of Smith Falls State Park. It sits roughly 19.1 km (11.9 mi) E of Valentine.
Smith Falls, at 63 feet (19 m), is the highest waterfall in the state of Nebraska and the centerpiece of Smith Falls State Park. The state park and falls are located 12 miles (19 km) east-northeast of Valentine and 3 miles southwest of Sparks, on the south side of the Niobrara River. Access to the falls is via a footbridge across the river from the north side of the park.From the Wikipedia article “Smith Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smith Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) 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) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 56° ENE | 9:24 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:10 AM | 122° ESE | 5:11 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Smith Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:40 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:34 PM – 12:14 AM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:30 PM – 10:20 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 6.0+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 67 | 77 | 82 | 92 | 100 | 108 | 112 | 108 | 106 | 92 | 78 | 65 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -11 | 3 | 26 | 42 | 49 | 46 | 34 | 6 | 4 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Smith Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfallScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smith Falls?
What time is golden hour at Smith Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smith Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smith Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smith Falls?
How far is Smith Falls from Valentine?
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.