Bridge Creek Falls — a waterfall in Deschutes County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Deschutes River Woods, about 18.3 km (11.4 mi) away (Bridge Creek Falls lies WNW of town).
Bridge Creek Falls is a 25-foot (7.6 m) waterfall on Bridge Creek, in the Cascade Range west of Bend in the U.S. state of Oregon. Additional waterfalls are downstream along nearby Tumalo Creek, of which Bridge Creek is a tributary, including Tumalo Falls. All of these falls are within the Deschutes National Forest and is within the municipal watershed for the city of Bend. The United States Forest Service manages the Bridge Creek Falls Trail about 14 miles (23 km) from Bend by forest roads. The trail is approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the Tumalo Falls day-use area and picnic site and which offers access to trails for hiking and mountain biking. Using the site requires a Northwest Forest Pass or payment of a fee. The Tumalo Falls Trail leads from the picnic area to Tumalo Falls, upstream of which continues a trail to Bridge Creek Falls.From the Wikipedia article “Bridge Creek Falls (Deschutes County, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridge Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Bridge Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Bridge Creek Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Three Creeks Lake Campground8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Driftwood Campground - Deschutes8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Soda Creek Campground11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Horse Camp12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridge Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Bridge Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridge Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bridge Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bridge Creek Falls?
How far is Bridge Creek Falls from Deschutes River Woods?
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.