Located in Marion County, Oregon, Lower Shellburg Falls is a waterfall at about 361 m (1,184 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.0 km (2.5 mi) N of Lyons.
Lower Shellburg Falls is located in Santiam State Forest, Oregon, United States.The Waterfall is 40 feet tall. It is located near two other waterfalls: Shellburg Falls and Stasel Falls. Shellburg Creek supplies the waterfall.From the Wikipedia article “Lower Shellburg Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Shellburg 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 | 7:45 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 11m |
| 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 | 8:02 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 | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 15m |
| 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 | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Lower Shellburg Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 2:49 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:33 PM | 0.5 | 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 ≈ 21.17 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Lower Shellburg Falls, closest first.
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State Park
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fishermens Bend9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Aquila Vista Recreation Site21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Shady Cove25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Cedar Grove Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Shellburg Falls?
What time is golden hour at Lower Shellburg Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Shellburg Falls?
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How far is Lower Shellburg 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.