Located in Oconee County, South Carolina, Kings Creek Falls is a waterfall at about 663 m (2,175 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Walhalla, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Kings Creek Falls lies N of town).
Kings Creek Falls, located near Long Creek, South Carolina, is a waterfall in the Oconee District of the Sumter National Forest. Kings Creek is a tributary of the Chatooga River, and the falls are located off a short spur from the Foothills Trail. It is located in the extreme Northwest of the state, near the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area and the Georgia state line.From the Wikipedia article “Kings Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kings Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 60° ENE | 8:50 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 119° ESE | 5:25 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Kings Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 6:14 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:25 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:56 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
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 Kings Creek Falls, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Wilderness AreaWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cherry Hill Campground3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Campground (Clayton, Ga) 8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Willis Knob Horse Camp12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Sarah'S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga) 14.6 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Whetstone Horse Camp15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kings Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Kings Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kings Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kings Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kings Creek Falls?
How far is Kings Creek Falls from Walhalla?
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.