Christine Falls — a waterfall in Pierce County, Washington at about 1,125 m (3,691 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Eatonville, about 38 km (24 mi) away (Christine Falls lies ESE of town). Its recorded drop is about 21 m (69 ft).
Christine Falls is a waterfall on Van Trump Creek in Pierce County, Washington. The falls are 69 feet (21 m) feet high and are best known for the Christine Falls Bridge spanning the lower drop. The upper drop is 32 feet (9.8 m) high and is almost impossible to film in tandem with the oft-photographed 37-foot (11 m) lower tier. The lower tier is probably one of the most commonly photographed locations in the Mount Rainier area. The falls were named in honor of Christine Van Trump, the daughter of P. B. Van Trump. In 1889 Christine, then nine years old, accompanied her father on an ascent of Mount Rainier, as far as her strength would allow. She made it to the 10,000-foot (3,000 m) level, even though she had a crippling nervous disorder.From the Wikipedia article “Christine Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
From the National Park Service
Season: Year-Round While Christine Falls can be viewed from the road year-round, the trail to the lower viewpoint is snow covered and hazardous during the winter.
Enjoy the sights or take in the sounds of Christine Falls which is located approximately half-way between the Nisqually Entrance and Paradise, along the road to Paradise. Drive 4.5 miles east from Longmire, just past the the Comet Falls parking area, to reach the Christine Falls pullouts. There is a small pullout on either side of the bridge over the falls. The best way to view this waterfall is to park and walk down the short path to the overlook below the stone bridge. Christine Falls bridge is very narrow and busy, use caution and watch for vehicles when crossing or viewing the waterfall from the bridge. The path can be very icy and hazardous during winter.
Christine Falls is a 60-foot plunging waterfall framed by a historic arched bridge. The Christine Falls bridge spans the narrow Van Trump Creek canyon between Rampart Ridge on the west, and Cushman Crest to the east. The falls are formed by Van Trump Creek, which passes north to south through the site, eventually flowing into the Nisqually River. To help preserve the outstanding scenery of the falls, this site was designed utilizing natural principles, intended to harmonize a man-made bridge in a natural environment. The waterfall is named for Christine Van Trump, daughter of P.B. Van Trump, one of the first climbers of Mount Rainier.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Christine Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 54° NE | 9:06 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Christine Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:33 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:15 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 1:12 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:10 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:05 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.36 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Christine Falls, closest first.
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WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cougar Rock Campground1.9 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Group Campground1.9 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- Big Creek (Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Wa)15.4 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Group Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Christine Falls?
What time is golden hour at Christine Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Christine Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Christine Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Christine Falls?
How far is Christine Falls from Eatonville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, National Park Service, 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.