Sweet Creek Falls waterfall.
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43.9462° N123.9032° W130 mBortle 2Los Angeles

Sweet Creek Falls Photography Guide

Waterfall in Lane County, Oregon · 130 m (427 ft)

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 238°–305°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0 · source

Sweet Creek Falls is a waterfall in Lane County, Oregon at about 130 m (427 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 16.3 km (10.1 mi) ESE of Florence.

Wikidata describes it as: “waterfall in Oregon”.

Elevation
130 m
427 ft
Nearest town
Florence
16.3 km (10.1 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
31% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.7 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:54 PM
sunset 6:33 PM

Light at Sweet Creek Falls

Live
Sunrise
7:37 AM
Sunset
6:25 PM
Golden hour AM
7:19 AM – 8:17 AM
Golden hour PM
5:45 PM – 6:43 PM
Blue hour AM
7:08 AM – 7:19 AM
Blue hour PM
6:43 PM – 6:54 PM
Full darkness
8:01 PM – 6:02 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:54 PM / 1:29 AM
Day length
10h 48m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Sweet Creek 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 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:20 AM90° E7:28 PM271° W46°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:34 AM56° NE9:03 PM305° NW69°15h 29m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:04 AM89° E7:15 PM271° W46°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:48 AM123° ESE4:41 PM238° WSW23°8h 53m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:16 AM7:48 AM8:33 AM4:18 PM5:04 PM5:36 PM9h 16m
February6:46 AM7:16 AM7:56 AM5:05 PM5:46 PM6:15 PM10h 30m
March7:00 AM7:29 AM8:07 AM6:44 PM7:22 PM7:51 PM11h 53m
April6:03 AM6:33 AM7:12 AM7:21 PM7:59 PM8:30 PM13h 27m
May5:17 AM5:50 AM6:32 AM7:54 PM8:35 PM9:09 PM14h 45m
June4:57 AM5:33 AM6:17 AM8:17 PM9:01 PM9:37 PM15h 28m
July5:13 AM5:48 AM6:30 AM8:14 PM8:57 PM9:32 PM15h 09m
August5:49 AM6:20 AM7:00 AM7:42 PM8:22 PM8:53 PM14h 01m
September6:27 AM6:56 AM7:34 AM6:50 PM7:28 PM7:57 PM12h 32m
October7:02 AM7:31 AM8:10 AM5:54 PM6:33 PM7:02 PM11h 03m
November6:40 AM7:11 AM7:55 AM4:07 PM4:51 PM5:22 PM9h 39m
December7:11 AM7:44 AM8:31 AM3:52 PM4:39 PM5:12 PM8h 55m

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 Sweet Creek 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.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
March5:09 AM – 5:49 AM0.714°SSE → SSE
April3:05 AM – 4:45 AM1.717°SSE → S
May1:10 AM – 3:40 AM2.517°SSE → S
June11:26 PM – 3:06 AM3.717°SSE → SSW
July11:12 PM – 1:42 AM2.517°S → SSW
August10:14 PM – 11:44 PM1.516°S → SSW
September9:07 PM – 9:37 PM0.513°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 21.7 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F65707585929810110498907461
Low °F182025263240434639262213
Precip. (in)7.36.16.24.32.41.40.20.41.73.87.49.3

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

  • 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.
  • 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 Sweet Creek Falls, closest first.

Beaver Creek FallsWaterfall
Beaver Creek Falls1.0 km away · Lane County · 186 m
Waterfall
North Fork Falls7.0 km away · Douglas County · 295 m
Waterfall
Lower Kentucky Falls7.2 km away · Douglas County · 310 m
Waterfall
Upper Kentucky Falls8.3 km away · Douglas County · 440 m
MinervaGhost Town
Minerva15 km away · Lane County
Waterfall
The Horn16 km away · Lane County · 72 m
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State ParkState Park
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park16 km away · Lane County
Siltcoos LakeLake
Siltcoos Lake17 km away · Lane County · 4 m
Cleawox LakeLake
Cleawox Lake17 km away · Lane County · 21 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Sweet Creek Falls?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
What time is golden hour at Sweet Creek Falls?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:54 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:33 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:10 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Sweet Creek Falls?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 56° in June to 123° in December; sunset ranges from 305° to 238°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Sweet Creek Falls?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sweet Creek Falls?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Sweet Creek Falls from Florence?
About 16.3 km (10.1 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

Sources

Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.