Cavitt Creek Falls is a waterfall in Douglas County, Oregon. It sits roughly 13.0 km (8.1 mi) SSE of Glide.
Cavitt Creek Falls, is a waterfall located on the west edge of the Umpqua National Forest, outside of the town of Glide, in Douglas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It totals 8 feet fall in one cascade that shoots into a large swimming bowl and is the centerpiece attraction of the Cavitt Creek Falls trailhead and Recreation Site. Boulders across Cavitt Creek create two channels of water flow that make the cascade and add to a combined width of approximately 15 feet. Cavitt Creek Falls is located along Little River Road, approximately 7 miles from Highway 138. The cascade is surrounded by forest. The river is open to trout fishing with artificial flies and lures only.From the Wikipedia article “Cavitt Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cavitt Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 56° NE | 8:56 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 122° ESE | 4:40 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Cavitt Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:04 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:51 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:41 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). August 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 | 70 | 75 | 85 | 92 | 98 | 101 | 104 | 98 | 90 | 74 | 61 |
| Low °F | 18 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 32 | 40 | 43 | 46 | 39 | 26 | 22 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 7.4 | 9.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Cavitt Creek Falls, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cavitt Creek Falls Recreation Site30 m · reservable
- Wolf Creek Group Site8.3 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Susan Creek Campground15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Millpond Recreation Site21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Millpond Pavilion21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cavitt Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Cavitt Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cavitt Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cavitt Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cavitt Creek Falls?
How far is Cavitt Creek Falls from Glide?
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.