Located in Marion County, Oregon, Double Falls is a waterfall at about 371 m (1,217 ft) above sea level. It is part of Silver Falls State Park. The nearest town is Lyons, about 13.3 km (8.3 mi) away (Double Falls lies N of town).
Double Falls, is a waterfall located in the Silver Falls State Park about 23 miles east of Salem,, in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located on the west foothills where Mount Hood National Forest meets with the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Several prominent waterfalls are located in the park along the Trail of Ten Falls, including South Falls, Drake Falls, Middle North Falls, and Winter Falls.From the Wikipedia article “Double Falls (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Double Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 9:01 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Double Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:33 PM – 2:43 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:26 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:24 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.98 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Double Falls, closest first.
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State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aquila Vista Recreation Site15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Fishermens Bend18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Cedar Grove Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Three Bears Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Double Falls?
What time is golden hour at Double Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Double Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Double Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Double Falls?
How far is Double Falls from Lyons?
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.