Located in Buncombe County, North Carolina, Douglas Falls is a waterfall. It sits roughly 13.2 km (8.2 mi) NNW of Black Mountain.
Douglas Falls are a 60-foot waterfall located in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is on a tributary of Waterfall Creek which flows into the Ivy River, and it is within the Big Ivy section of the Pisgah National Forest. The stream flows off the slope of Craggy Pinnacle, starting just below the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is surrounded by a forest of very large Eastern Hemlock trees, which are dead following attack by the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. Visitors should be very careful when visiting this falls, as the dead Hemlocks will start to decay and fall within the next few years.From the Wikipedia article “Douglas Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Douglas Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:15 AM | 60° ENE | 8:49 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:20 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Douglas Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:17 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:55 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:55 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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 ≈ 21.18 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 79 | 81 | 88 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 5 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
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.
- 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 Douglas Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
WaterfallMountain PassMountain PassWaterfallMountain Pass
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Briar Bottom Group Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Curtis Creek Campground17.0 km (10.6 mi)
- Curtis Creek Campground (Nc)17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Carolina Hemlocks Rec Area18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Douglas Falls?
What time is golden hour at Douglas Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Douglas Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Douglas Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Douglas Falls?
How far is Douglas Falls from Black Mountain?
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.