Wizard Falls — a waterfall in Jefferson County, Oregon at about 842 m (2,762 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Willamette National Forest. The nearest town is Sisters, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Wizard Falls lies NNW of town).
Wizard Falls, was a waterfall located in Jefferson County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was located in a privileged area on the northwest foothills of Deschutes National Forest, just north of Black Butte and the city of Sisters, Oregon. To the west sits volcano Three Fingered Jack, between Mount Washington to the South and Mount Jefferson to the North.From the Wikipedia article “Wizard Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wizard 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 55° NE | 8:56 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 123° ESE | 4:30 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Wizard 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 | — | -3° | — |
| 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 | 1:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:08 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.74 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 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
- 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 Wizard Falls, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
VolcanoState Park
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
CaveWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Allen Springs Campground1.1 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Lower Canyon Creek Campground2.1 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Green Ridge Lookout2.5 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Smiling River Campground2.9 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Allingham Campground3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wizard Falls?
What time is golden hour at Wizard Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wizard Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wizard Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wizard Falls?
How far is Wizard 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.