Located in Linn County, Oregon, Sahalie Falls is a waterfall at about 867 m (2,844 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) W of Sisters.
Sahalie Falls, sometimes referred to as Upper Falls, is a plunging waterfall of the McKenzie River in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The falls are located on the eastern edge of the Willamette National Forest and alongside Oregon Route 126, 34.3 miles (55.2 km) west of the city of Sisters. The word sahalie is Chinook Jargon for "up," "above," or "heaven". Sahalie Falls is 0.5 miles upstream from Koosah Falls and 1 mile downstream of the McKenzie River source at Clear Lake. The falls are 8 miles (13 km) directly west of and 5,000 ft (1,524 m) below the summit of Mount Washington. The waterfall consists of a 73-foot (22 m) plunge, with year-round waterflow rates of 560 cu ft/s (16 m3/s). There is a short access trail from the parking lot to the top of the falls, where visitors can get within twenty feet of the waterfall behind a railing. There is also access to a maintained...From the Wikipedia article “Sahalie Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sahalie 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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Sahalie Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.73 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 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Sahalie Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Waterfall
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ice Cap Campground990 m · reservable
- Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)1.8 km (1.1 mi) · reservable
- Fish Lake Remount Depot Cabins6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Trout Creek Campground - Willamette (Or)8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Trail Bridge8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sahalie Falls?
What time is golden hour at Sahalie Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sahalie Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sahalie Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sahalie Falls?
How far is Sahalie Falls from Sisters?
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.