Pringle Falls — a waterfall in Deschutes County, Oregon at about 1,289 m (4,229 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is La Pine, about 11.7 km (7.3 mi) away (Pringle Falls lies NW of town).
Pringle Falls is a series of rapids or drops on the upper Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From just downstream of Wyeth Campground, the rapids begin with about 600 feet (180 m) of whitewater rated class II (novice) on the International Scale of River Difficulty. The next 300 feet (91 m) is class III (intermediate] ending in a class IV (advanced) drop. Soggy Sneakers: A Paddler's Guide to Oregon's Rivers says, "Only expert kayakers should consider this drop, and only after scouting. It is definitely not a rapids for open canoes." The Northwest Waterfall Survey describes the rapids as "the first major waterfall along the Deschutes River" but qualifies this by adding that the waterfall has been reported to be a cascade series with a total vertical drop of 25 feet (7.6 m) spread over a horizontal distance of 850 feet (260 m). The survey notes that the falls cannot be seen...From the Wikipedia article “Pringle Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pringle 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Pringle 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Pringle Falls, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Rock FormationRock Formation
Lake
Lake
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wyeth Campground - Deschutes494 m · reservable
- Pringle Falls Campground766 m · reservable
- Bull Bend Campground2.5 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Fall River Campground3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Fall River Guard Station3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pringle Falls?
What time is golden hour at Pringle Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pringle Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pringle Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pringle Falls?
How far is Pringle Falls from La Pine?
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.