Upper Cascades is a waterfall in Stokes County, North Carolina. It is part of Hanging Rock State Park. It sits roughly 15.1 km (9.4 mi) NNE of King.
Upper Cascades is a waterfall in North Central North Carolina, located in Hanging Rock State Park, in Stokes County.From the Wikipedia article “Upper Cascades (Hanging Rock)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Cascades 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 60° ENE | 8:43 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 119° ESE | 5:10 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Upper Cascades, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:02 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:39 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.14 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 73 | 75 | 80 | 84 | 92 | 99 | 98 | 100 | 96 | 96 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | 0 | -2 | 2 | 22 | 32 | 43 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 26 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
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.
- 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 Upper Cascades, closest first.
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Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Cascades?
What time is golden hour at Upper Cascades?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Cascades?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Cascades?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Cascades?
How far is Upper Cascades from King?
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.