Bridal Veil Falls — a waterfall in Chelan County, Washington at about 455 m (1,493 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Granite Falls, about 53 km (33 mi) away (Bridal Veil Falls lies NW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridal Veil 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) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 52° NE | 9:08 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 126° SE | 4:11 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 | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:47 PM | 16h 04m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:12 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 42m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:25 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 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 Bridal Veil 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:44 AM – 2:44 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:29 AM – 1:29 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:50 PM – 12:40 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:45 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 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 | 45 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 85 | 76 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -15 | -1 | 15 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 22 | 2 | -20 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Bridal Veil Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Glacier
GlacierMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lucerne Campground8.6 km (5.3 mi)
- Harlequin Campground10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Graham Harbor Creek Campground23 km (15 mi)
- Graham Harbor Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Cottonwood Cabin28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridal Veil Falls?
What time is golden hour at Bridal Veil Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridal Veil Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bridal Veil Falls?
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How far is Bridal Veil Falls from Granite Falls?
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.