Located in Clackamas County, Oregon, Ramona Falls is a waterfall at about 1,085 m (3,560 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 16.2 km (10.1 mi) E of Mount Hood Village.
Ramona Falls is a waterfall on the upper Sandy River on the west side of Mount Hood, Oregon, United States. It is located in forest along the Pacific Crest Trail at an elevation of 3,560 feet (1,090 m). The falls are about 120 feet (37 m) tall overall, consisting of a wall of cascades.From the Wikipedia article “Ramona Falls (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ramona 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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 55° NE | 9:00 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 124° ESE | 4:28 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 39m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Ramona 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:12 AM – 3:22 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:35 PM – 2:35 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:18 PM – 1:18 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:23 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:22 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.41 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ramona Falls, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Lake
Glacier
Glacier
Cave
Mountain Pass
National Forest
Glacier
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lost Creek4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Riley Horse Campground6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Still Creek9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Tilly Jane Guard Station10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Camp Creek11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ramona Falls?
What time is golden hour at Ramona Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ramona Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ramona Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ramona Falls?
How far is Ramona Falls from Mount Hood Village?
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.