Hamma Hamma Falls — a waterfall in Mason County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Seabeck, about 33 km (21 mi) away (Hamma Hamma Falls lies WSW of town). Its recorded drop is about 82 m (269 ft).
Wikidata describes it as: “waterfall in Mason County, Washington state, United States of America”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hamma Hamma Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:15 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 125° SE | 4:25 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 27m |
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 Hamma Hamma Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:27 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:46 AM – 3:06 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:17 AM – 2:07 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:48 PM – 1:08 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 11:00 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.25 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Hamma Hamma Falls, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
GlacierMountain Peak
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Staircase Campground8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Hamma Hamma Campground10.6 km (6.6 mi)
- Hamma Hamma Cabin11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Brown Creek Campground18.6 km (11.5 mi)
- Collins Campground22 km (13 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hamma Hamma Falls?
What time is golden hour at Hamma Hamma Falls?
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.