Located in Columbia County, Washington, Hompegg Falls is a waterfall at about 924 m (3,031 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 22 km (13 mi) SE of Dayton.
Hompegg Falls is a waterfall that flows from a creek just as it empties in the north fork of Touchet River, located in the U.S. state of Washington. The waterfall is in the heart of the Umatilla National Forest, just 2 miles south of the Huckleberry Mountain Reservoir Dam and Lewis Creek and 8 miles north of Ski Bluewood. The name of the waterfall is from the initials of seven individuals who discovered the waterfall while hiking the forest in the 1930s. Access to Hompegg Falls is 15 miles south of the city of Dayton through Hompegg Falls Drive off N Touchet Rd, at a point where an unnamed creek flows into the North Folk Touchet River.From the Wikipedia article “Hompegg Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hompegg 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) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 54° NE | 8:47 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 124° SE | 4:09 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:21 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:39 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:16 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 39m |
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 Hompegg 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:09 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 2:53 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 2:10 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 10:51 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 8:58 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 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 December as the cloudiest (78%). July 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 | 60 | 72 | 81 | 89 | 101 | 101 | 104 | 100 | 88 | 69 | 58 |
| Low °F | -13 | -8 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 44 | 42 | 28 | 14 | 1 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 3.0 |
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
- 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 Hompegg Falls, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Godman Guard Station7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Tucannon Guard Station13.9 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Clearwater Lookout Cabin18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Clearwater Big House19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hompegg Falls?
What time is golden hour at Hompegg Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hompegg Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hompegg Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hompegg Falls?
How far is Hompegg Falls from Dayton?
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.