Indian Falls — a waterfall in Genesee County, New York — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Akron, about 7.9 km (4.9 mi) away (Indian Falls lies E of town).
Indian Falls is a hamlet located closely within the northern border of the town of Pembroke and the western edge of Genesee County, Western New York, United States. Located in what was traditional Seneca nation territory for hundreds of years, the town was named also for a waterfall near its center, where Tonawanda Creek flows over the Onondaga escarpment.From the Wikipedia article “Indian Falls, New York”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Indian 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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 56° ENE | 8:57 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Indian 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:52 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:53 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 66% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 54 | 50 | 59 | 62 | 74 | 80 | 86 | 86 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 56 |
| Low °F | 2 | -4 | -1 | 18 | 34 | 39 | 49 | 54 | 44 | 34 | 21 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Indian Falls, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Indian Falls?
What time is golden hour at Indian Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Indian Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Indian Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Indian Falls?
How far is Indian Falls from Akron?
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.