Coquille River Falls is a waterfall in Coos County, Oregon at about 377 m (1,237 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 39 km (24 mi) E of Port Orford.
Coquiller River Falls, is a two-tier waterfall located in the far north tip of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, just east of Port Orford, on the Oregon Coast in Coos County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It totals 115 feet fall in two drops: the upper falls is 50 feet high and the lower tier, the tallest drop, is 65 feet. There are approximately 180 feet from the upper tier to the bottom drop of the waterfall.From the Wikipedia article “Coquille River Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coquille River Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 56° ENE | 8:58 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Coquille River Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:50 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:51 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:54 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Coquille River Falls, closest first.
National Forest
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Wilderness AreaScenic ViewpointWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bald Knob Lookout2.7 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Rogue River Dispersed Campsites6.6 km (4.1 mi)
- Foster Bar Campground9.6 km (6.0 mi)
- Lake Of The Woods Lookout16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Sixes River Campground Or26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coquille River Falls?
What time is golden hour at Coquille River Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coquille River Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coquille River Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coquille River Falls?
How far is Coquille River Falls from Port Orford?
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.