Skiles Falls is a waterfall in Karnes County, Texas at about 82 m (269 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 12.9 km (8.0 mi) SSE of Poth.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Skiles Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 63° ENE | 8:35 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 117° ESE | 5:40 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 17m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 30m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 11m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 36m |
| June | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 59m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 49m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 11m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 43m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 18m |
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 Skiles Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 3.8 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 5:06 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 4:58 AM | 6.8 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 9:22 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.39 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). August 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 | 89 | 96 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 110 | 110 | 112 | 110 | 102 | 94 | 89 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 26 | 36 | 46 | 63 | 67 | 67 | 53 | 39 | 26 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Skiles Falls?
What time is golden hour at Skiles Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Skiles Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Skiles Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Skiles Falls?
How far is Skiles Falls from Poth?
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.