Located in Wasco County, Oregon, Celilo Falls is a waterfall. It lies in or next to Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 16.1 km (10.0 mi) ENE of Dallesport.
Celilo Falls (; Tenino: Wyam, meaning "echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks," in several native languages) was a tribal fishing area on the Columbia River, just east of the Cascade Mountains, on what is today the border between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. The name refers to a series of cascades and waterfalls on the river, as well as to the native settlements and trading villages that existed there in various configurations for 15,000 years. Celilo was the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent until 1957, when the falls and nearby settlements were submerged by the construction of The Dalles Dam. In 2019, there were calls by tribal leaders to restore the falls.From the Wikipedia article “Celilo Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
From the National Park Service
Celilo Falls Portage is a High Potential Historic Site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
On October 22, 1805, the expedition reached Celilo Falls, where the river “divided into Several narrow chanels which pass through a hard black rock forming Islands of rocks at this Stage of the water, on those Islands of rocks [were] great numbers of Stacks of pounded Salmon.” A social and commercial locus for tribes along the Columbia River, Celilo Falls also presented a defacto boundary between Shahaptian languages (extending eastward to the Rocky Mountains) and Chinookan languages (extending westward to the Pacific Ocean). There were 17 lodges above the falls and five more below. Lewis and Clark determined a portage route “on the Stard. Side, and the distance 1200 yards one third of the way on a rock, about 200 yards over a loose Sand collected in a hollar blown by the winds from the bottoms below which was disagreeable to pass, as it was Steep and loose.” They received a great deal of assistance from the villagers, including the use of their horses. The Corps camped two nights on the north bank below the falls, “close under a high range of clifts of rocks, where the body of the River beat against it and formed a verry large eddy.” The return portage was made on April 21, 1806.
Over the years, Celilo Falls has been impacted by infrastructure developments such as a canal, railroad bridge, transmission lines, and inundation from the Dalles Dam. Even so, the portage route on the Washington side of the river remains intact and above water. On-site access is restricted, but nearby Celilo Park provides public viewing and interpretation of the area from the Oregon side of the river.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Celilo Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 54° NE | 8:58 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 124° SE | 4:23 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:28 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Celilo Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:20 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:11 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:17 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:11 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 63 | 65 | 80 | 86 | 95 | 100 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 88 | 69 | 61 |
| Low °F | -4 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 30 | 37 | 44 | 44 | 34 | 19 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Celilo Falls, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Natural Arch
State ParkWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Rock Formation
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Celilo Falls?
What time is golden hour at Celilo Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Celilo Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Celilo Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Celilo Falls?
How far is Celilo Falls from Dallesport?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, National Park Service, 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.