Wildwood Falls is a waterfall in Lane County, Oregon at about 306 m (1,004 ft) above sea level. It is part of Umpqua National Forest. The nearest town is Culp Creek, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Wildwood Falls lies E of town).
Wildwood Falls, also known as Row River Falls, is a waterfall located in Lane County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. A day or annual pass is required from Lanecounty.org. Don't expect to get cell service here. It has 2 sites on both sides of the falls, Lassels D Stewart Country Park on Row River Rd and Wildwood falls on Bryce Creek. The Lassels D Stewart side offers gradual trails, available parking, and a more open space. The Wildwood side offers cliff-jumping in warm seasons, two rougher trails down the falls, and farther away from the fall a steep trail which follows the creek bed back to the falls. Often good rock hounding has been noted as the other side contains little to no rocks.From the Wikipedia article “Wildwood Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wildwood 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 56° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Wildwood 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 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:03 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:45 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:41 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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.
- 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 Wildwood Falls, closest first.
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Covered BridgeWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sharps Creek Recreation Site3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Day Use Picnic Area6.2 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Lund Park Campground12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Schwarz Park15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wildwood Falls?
What time is golden hour at Wildwood Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wildwood Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wildwood Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wildwood Falls?
How far is Wildwood Falls from Culp Creek?
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.