Located in Somerset County, New Jersey, Buttermilk Falls is a waterfall. It sits roughly 1.7 km (1.1 mi) S of Martinsville.
Middle Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River in Somerset County, New Jersey. The stream can be referred to as Rha-weigh-weiros, a Native American name meaning "running from a deep hole", on early maps of the area.From the Wikipedia article “Middle Brook (Raritan River tributary)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buttermilk Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:35 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Buttermilk Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:40 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.32 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 (64%). 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 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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.
- 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 Buttermilk Falls, closest first.
Botanical Garden
State Park
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buttermilk Falls?
What time is golden hour at Buttermilk Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buttermilk Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buttermilk Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buttermilk Falls?
How far is Buttermilk Falls from Martinsville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.