Located in Snohomish County, Washington, Asbestos Creek Falls is a waterfall. The nearest town is Darrington, about 7.2 km (4.5 mi) away (Asbestos Creek Falls lies SSE of town).
Asbestos Creek Falls is a waterfall on Asbestos Creek, a small tributary of Clear Creek, located just below the mouth of Helena Creek. The falls are thought to stand between 500 and 1000 feet high. The falls are thought to drop around 1000 feet however only the bottom 500 feet, due to the shape of the gorge, can be seen from the base. Also, accessing the falls has become very difficult because of numerous washouts that have occurred along Clear Creek Road. The falls can be seen partially seen from Clear Creek Road from where it crosses Asbestos Creek and views of the upper 500 feet or so of the falls can likely only be attained from the other side of the valley. The falls are often confused with Asbestos Falls, which lies on Clear Creek itself.From the Wikipedia article “Asbestos Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Asbestos Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 52° NE | 9:11 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 126° SE | 4:15 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 20m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:55 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 03m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 41m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 22m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Asbestos Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:47 AM – 2:47 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:32 AM – 1:32 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:53 PM – 12:43 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 10:48 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.32 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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 Asbestos Creek Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Clear Creek Campground3.2 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Coal Creek Group Camp12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Red Bridge Campground 14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Boardman Group Camp15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Esswine Group Camp15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Asbestos Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Asbestos Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Asbestos Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Asbestos Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Asbestos Creek Falls?
How far is Asbestos Creek Falls from Darrington?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.