Windy Falls is a waterfall in Transylvania County, North Carolina at about 652 m (2,139 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Brevard, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Windy Falls lies SW of town).
The Horsepasture River is an 18.1-mile-long (29.1 km) National Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The river rises in Jackson County, North Carolina, and flows through the Jocassee Gorges area and ends at Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. Some of the land over which the river flows is part of the Pisgah National Forest, making it accessible to the public. North Carolina designated 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of the river as Horsepasture State Natural River in 1985, including it in the state's Natural and Scenic Rivers System. The State River is between NC-281 and the state line. The Horsepasture River features several significant waterfalls in close proximity to one another. The named falls are: Drift Falls Turtleback Falls Rainbow Falls Hidden Falls Stairway Falls Sidepocket Falls Windy FallsFrom the Wikipedia article “Horsepasture River”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Windy 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 242° (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) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 60° ENE | 8:50 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 119° ESE | 5:24 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Windy Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 6:14 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:25 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:56 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Windy Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cherry Hill Campground18.9 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Balsam Lake Lodge 22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Kuykendall Group Camp23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cliffside Lake Shelters25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Van Hook Glade26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Windy Falls?
What time is golden hour at Windy Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Windy Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Windy Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Windy Falls?
How far is Windy Falls from Brevard?
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.