Mountain Falls is a waterfall in Frederick County, Virginia at about 360 m (1,181 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.6 km (4.7 mi) SW of Shawnee Land.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mountain 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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 59° ENE | 8:44 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 120° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 26m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Mountain 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:16 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.25 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 74 | 78 | 86 | 94 | 95 | 100 | 98 | 97 | 93 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | -7 | -4 | -3 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 19 | 6 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Mountain Falls, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mountain Falls?
What time is golden hour at Mountain Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mountain Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mountain Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mountain Falls?
How far is Mountain Falls from Shawnee Land?
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.