Located in Marion County, Oregon, Drift Creek Falls is a waterfall at about 300 m (984 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sublimity, about 10.3 km (6.4 mi) away (Drift Creek Falls lies NE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Drift Creek 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 9:02 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 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 | 5:29 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 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 | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 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 | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 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 | 7:54 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 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 Drift Creek 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 ≈ 20.79 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
- 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.
- 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 Drift Creek Falls, closest first.
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WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aquila Vista Recreation Site19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Fishermens Bend22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cedar Grove Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Three Bears Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Drift Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Drift Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Drift Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Drift Creek Falls?
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How far is Drift Creek Falls from Sublimity?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.