Waterfalls in Virginia: 44 Photo Spots, Light & Night Sky Guide

Name	County	Elevation	Nearest town	Sky
Crabtree Falls	Nelson County	818 m	Nellysford	3
Dark Hollow FallsShenandoah	Madison County	902 m	Stanley	3
Falling Springs Falls	Alleghany County	—	Covington	3
Fallingwater Cascades	Botetourt County	—	Buchanan	3
Abrams Falls	Washington County	503 m	Bristol	4
Apple Orchard Falls	Botetourt County	751 m	Buchanan	3
Beaverdam Falls	Alleghany County	548 m	White Sulphur Springs	3
Big Falls	Albemarle County	588 m	Grottoes	3
Big Falls	Montgomery County	500 m	Pembroke	4
Big Falls	Russell County	506 m	Lebanon	3
Big Rock FallsShenandoah	Madison County	815 m	Stanley	3
Blue Suck Falls	Bath County	614 m	Clifton Forge	3
Cascades	Giles County	863 m	Pembroke	3
Cedar FallsShenandoah	Rockingham County	613 m	Elkton	3
Falls of Dismal	Giles County	680 m	Narrows	3
Dry Run FallsShenandoah	Rockingham County	712 m	Elkton	3
Eagle Point Falls (historical)	Mecklenburg County	91 m	Clarksville	3
Falling Rock Falls	Franklin County	258 m	Vinton	5
Falling Spring Falls	Alleghany County	626 m	Covington	3
The Falls	Grayson County	906 m	Galax	3
The Falls	Nelson County	385 m	Nellysford	3
Gibbs Falls	Rockbridge County	482 m	East Lexington	3
Glenn Falls	Rockbridge County	444 m	Stuarts Draft	3
Goods Falls	Page County	190 m	Luray	4
Greasy Falls	Warren County	509 m	Front Royal	4
Great Falls of Dan	Patrick County	608 m	Stuart	3
Hyco Falls (historical)	Halifax County	91 m	South Boston	3
Jones Run Falls	Albemarle County	572 m	Grottoes	3
Lewis Spring FallsShenandoah	Page County	861 m	Stanley	3
Meadow Creek Falls	Craig County	529 m	Daleville	3
Monkey Falls	Scott County	376 m	Weber City	5
Mountain Falls	Frederick County	360 m	Shawnee Land	4
Panther Falls	Amherst County	364 m	Buena Vista	4
Rose River FallsShenandoah	Madison County	722 m	Stanley	3
Smith River Falls	Patrick County	799 m	Stuart	3
South River FallsShenandoah	Greene County	651 m	Elkton	3
Statons Creek Falls	Amherst County	555 m	Buena Vista	3
Styles Falls	Floyd County	551 m	Shawsville	4
Tank Hollow Falls	Russell County	485 m	Lebanon	3
Upper Falls	Giles County	910 m	Pembroke	3
White Falls	Patrick County	308 m	Ferrum	3
Wylie Falls	Giles County	446 m	Narrows	3
Climbing Rose FallsShenandoah	Madison County	443 m	Stanley	3
Miller Falls	Warren County	757 m	Front Royal	4

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph waterfalls

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.

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.
Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.

Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.