Asbestos Falls is a waterfall in Snohomish County, Washington at about 362 m (1,188 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Darrington, about 7.9 km (4.9 mi) away (Asbestos Falls lies SSE of town).
Asbestos Falls is a waterfall on Clear Creek in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located just above the mouth of Helena Creek. The falls are about 55 feet high and drop that in two segments, only one of which is easily seen from the rim of the canyon the falls drop into. To reach the far segment, one would have to descend into the canyon, which is dangerous enough before fording the creek, which would also be dangerous, especially during high water. Reaching the falls requires a moderately difficult bushwhack to the edge of the canyon from just past Asbestos Creek Falls, which is countless times confused with Asbestos Falls. The falls are also simply known as Clear Creek Falls, but the official name is Asbestos Falls.From the Wikipedia article “Asbestos Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Asbestos 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Clear Creek Campground3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Coal Creek Group Camp11.5 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Red Bridge Campground 14.1 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Boardman Group Camp15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Esswine Group Camp15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Asbestos Falls?
What time is golden hour at Asbestos Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Asbestos Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Asbestos Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Asbestos Falls?
How far is Asbestos Falls from Darrington?
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.