Taughannock Falls — a waterfall in Tompkins County, New York at about 206 m (676 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Taughannock Falls State Park. The nearest town is Trumansburg, about 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away (Taughannock Falls lies E of town). Its recorded drop is about 215 m (705 ft).
Taughannock Falls State Park ( tə-GAN-ək) is a 750-acre (3.0 km2) state park located in the town of Ulysses in Tompkins County, New York in the United States. The park is northwest of Ithaca near Trumansburg. The park's namesake, Taughannock Falls, is a 215-foot (66 m) plunge waterfall.From the Wikipedia article “Taughannock Falls State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Taughannock Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 57° ENE | 8:48 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Taughannock Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.8 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.22 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 61 | 65 | 73 | 84 | 93 | 94 | 101 | 95 | 93 | 86 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | -12 | -18 | -7 | 12 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 46 | 33 | 23 | -7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Taughannock Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Potomac Group Campground15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Blueberry Patch Campground16.5 km (10.3 mi)
- Blueberry Patch Campground16.5 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Backbone Horse Campground17.0 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Taughannock Falls?
What time is golden hour at Taughannock Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Taughannock Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Taughannock Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Taughannock Falls?
How far is Taughannock Falls from Trumansburg?
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.