Deer Lick Falls is a waterfall in Douglas County, Oregon at about 694 m (2,277 ft) above sea level. It is part of Umpqua National Forest. The nearest town is Glide, about 46 km (29 mi) away (Deer Lick Falls lies ESE of town).
Deer Lick Falls is a small waterfall from the Black Rock fork of the South Umpqua River in Douglas County, Oregon. Access to Deer Lick Falls is from Forest Road 28, approximately 4 miles northeast of South Umpqua Falls.From the Wikipedia article “Deer Lick Falls (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Deer Lick 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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Deer Lick 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 | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:39 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 ≈ 21.86 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Deer Lick Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
Fire Lookout
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Acker Rock Lookout9.7 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Ash Flat Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi)
- Deer Flat Group Site (Horseshoe Bend Campground)18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Bend Campground (Or)18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Rock Campground18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Deer Lick Falls?
What time is golden hour at Deer Lick Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Deer Lick Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Deer Lick Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Deer Lick Falls?
How far is Deer Lick Falls from Glide?
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.