Hells Hollow Falls is a waterfall in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. It sits roughly 7.6 km (4.7 mi) NNE of Ellport.
McConnells Mill State Park is a 2,546 acres (1,030 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Perry and Slippery Rock Townships, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park features a deep scenic gorge with the restored watermill and a covered bridge at the bottom, accessible by a roadway that winds between large, room-sized boulders on the hillside. McConnells Mill State Park is along the Slippery Rock Creek. just southwest of the intersection of US 422 and US 19. McConnells Mill State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".From the Wikipedia article “McConnells Mill State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hells Hollow Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 58° ENE | 8:57 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 121° ESE | 4:57 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 15m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Hells Hollow Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:00 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 20.78 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 September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 66 | 71 | 82 | 83 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 100 | 97 | 91 | 75 | 67 |
| Low °F | -10 | -5 | 0 | 20 | 23 | 36 | 47 | 46 | 38 | 24 | 10 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Hells Hollow Falls, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Covered Bridge
State ParkWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hells Hollow Falls?
What time is golden hour at Hells Hollow Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hells Hollow Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hells Hollow Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hells Hollow Falls?
How far is Hells Hollow Falls from Ellport?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.