Funnel Falls — a waterfall in Grand County, Utah at about 1,286 m (4,219 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 37 km (23 mi) SW of Loma.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Funnel Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 4:58 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Funnel Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 59 | 62 | 77 | 85 | 98 | 102 | 104 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 73 | 59 |
| Low °F | -7 | -8 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 47 | 32 | 7 | 8 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
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
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- 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.
- 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 Funnel Falls, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Westwater Campground (Ranger Station)11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Westwater Group Site (Ranger Station)11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Knowles Overlook Campground18.8 km (11.7 mi)
- Jouflas Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Rabbit Valley24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Funnel Falls?
What time is golden hour at Funnel Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Funnel Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Funnel Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Funnel Falls?
How far is Funnel Falls from Loma?
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.