Big Spring Creek Falls is a waterfall in Skamania County, Washington. It sits roughly 57 km (35 mi) N of White Salmon.
Big Spring Creek Falls is a three-tiered waterfall along Big Spring Creek, originating high on Mount Adams, with a total height of 49 ft (15 m). Its main drop is 25 ft (8 m) feet. It cascades down among a dark forest, surrounded by mosses and ferns. The falls are located within eyesight of Forest Route 23, and is a popular stop for travelers passing by, heading to the Midway High Lakes Area and Takhlakh Lake from Trout Lake or the Lewis River. The falls is managed by the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Big Spring Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Spring Creek Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 54° NE | 9:03 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:24 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 36m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Big Spring Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:24 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:08 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:25 PM – 1:15 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:06 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.61 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Big Spring Creek Falls, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
National Forest
Mountain Pass
Lake
LakeWaterfall
Lake
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Takhlakh Lake Campground 5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Adams Fork Campground12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Lewis River Hc (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Blue Lake Creek Campground - Gifford Pinchot Nf (Wa)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Lower Falls Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Spring Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Big Spring Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Spring Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Spring Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Spring Creek Falls?
How far is Big Spring Creek Falls from White Salmon?
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.