Located in Cumberland County, Tennessee, Pilot Falls is a waterfall at about 465 m (1,526 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Lake Tansi, about 14.7 km (9.1 mi) away (Pilot Falls lies W of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pilot 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 60° ENE | 8:01 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 119° ESE | 4:31 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:02 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Pilot Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:04 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:07 PM – 12:07 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:32 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 81 | 83 | 92 | 107 | 104 | 104 | 99 | 98 | 84 | 72 |
| Low °F | 2 | -5 | 13 | 22 | 33 | 47 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 26 | 12 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Pilot Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Cave
State ParkWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pilot Falls?
What time is golden hour at Pilot Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pilot Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pilot Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pilot Falls?
How far is Pilot Falls from Lake Tansi?
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.