T Lake Falls is a waterfall in Hamilton County, New York at about 708 m (2,323 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Dolgeville, about 42 km (26 mi) away (T Lake Falls lies NNE of town).
T Lake Falls is the tallest waterfall in New York State and in the Adirondacks, at minimum twice the height of Niagara Falls in Niagara Falls, NY. It is located in Hamilton County, New York in the West Canada Lake Wilderness Area. The height of T Lake Falls has been stated as of 350 feet up to 600, depending on the source. The falls is on an unnamed tributary of the South Branch West Canada Creek. This area was used by Native American hunters and first settlers. Several people have died after falling from the falls. Because of these fatalities, the trail beyond the lake and lean-to to the falls are no longer maintained and have been closed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. However, T Lake and the falls remain an attraction because of the several different ways to hike in, and the option of staying at the lean-to at the lake. There is also swimming in the...From the Wikipedia article “T Lake Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At T Lake Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 122° ESE | 4:26 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 59m |
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 T Lake Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 2:52 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.73 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 55 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 95 | 86 | 92 | 82 | 75 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | -28 | -23 | -23 | 2 | 24 | 31 | 40 | 41 | 28 | 18 | -10 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 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
- 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 T Lake Falls, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph T Lake Falls?
What time is golden hour at T Lake Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at T Lake Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from T Lake Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at T Lake Falls?
How far is T Lake Falls from Dolgeville?
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.