University Falls — a waterfall in Tillamook County, Oregon at about 488 m (1,601 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) W of Banks.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At University Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) 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) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 54° NE | 9:07 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 124° SE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 43m |
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 University 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 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 | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:19 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:19 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:25 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 9:29 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: 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 ≈ 21.08 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 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 57 | 59 | 66 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 87 | 79 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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 University Falls, closest first.
Ghost Town
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph University Falls?
What time is golden hour at University Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at University Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from University Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at University Falls?
How far is University Falls from Banks?
Sources
Location data: 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.