Lava Island Falls — a waterfall in Deschutes County, Oregon at about 1,196 m (3,924 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.2 km (2.0 mi) W of Deschutes River Woods.
Lava Island Falls are rapids on the Deschutes River. Rated a Class 5 for watercraft, they are difficult to navigate because of an island of lava from Lava Butte that blocked part of the river.From the Wikipedia article “Lava Island Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lava Island Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Lava Island Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.06 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 59 | 61 | 72 | 79 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 71 | 55 |
| Low °F | -16 | -5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 16 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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.
- 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 Lava Island Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Waterfall
National Forest
Wilderness Area
Fire Lookout
Covered BridgeScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big River20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Lake Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Driftwood Campground - Deschutes22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Horse Camp25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lava Island Falls?
What time is golden hour at Lava Island Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lava Island Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lava Island Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lava Island Falls?
How far is Lava Island Falls from Deschutes River Woods?
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.