Bridal Veil Falls — a waterfall in Utah County, Utah at about 1,798 m (5,899 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.2 km (5.7 mi) ENE of Orem.
Bridal Veil Falls is a 607-foot-tall (185 m) double cataract waterfall in the south end of Provo Canyon, close to US189 in Utah, United States. Battle Creek Falls is on a nearby mountain side, approximately 10 miles north of Bridal Veil Falls.From the Wikipedia article “Bridal Veil Falls (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridal Veil 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 9:01 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 121° ESE | 5:04 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 19m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Bridal Veil Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:54 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 3:52 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.61 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 50 | 56 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 49 |
| Low °F | -23 | -28 | -14 | -6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 1 | -17 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Bridal Veil Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Canyon
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Lake
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hope4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Theater In The Pines7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Mt. Timpanogos7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Rock Canyon8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Altamont11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridal Veil Falls?
What time is golden hour at Bridal Veil Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridal Veil Falls?
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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.