Lee Falls is a waterfall in Washington County, Oregon at about 118 m (387 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Forest Grove, about 14.9 km (9.3 mi) away (Lee Falls lies WSW of town).
Lee Falls is a waterfall on the Tualatin River in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Named after 19th century sawmill owner James A. Lee, it is located alongside Southwest Lee Falls Road on private timber land. The falls pour over a basalt rock formation. Unusually for the region, the falls are wider than they are tall. A swimming hole is present beneath the falls. Downstream are Little Lee Falls and the unincorporated community of Cherry Grove. Upstream is Ki-a-Kuts Falls.From the Wikipedia article “Lee Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lee Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 9:06 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 124° ESE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 39m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 44m |
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 Lee Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 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 | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:18 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:28 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 ≈ 20.7 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 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 57 | 59 | 66 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 87 | 79 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
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 circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lee Falls, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dovre Recreation Site23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Fan Creek Recreation Site25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Elk Bend Recreation Site28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lee Falls?
What time is golden hour at Lee Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lee Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lee Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lee Falls?
How far is Lee Falls from Forest Grove?
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.