Located in Skagit County, Washington, Jordan Creek Falls is a waterfall. The nearest town is Darrington, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Jordan Creek Falls lies NNE of town).
Jordan Creek Falls drops 588 feet (179 m) along Jordan Creek in Skagit County, Washington. The cascade has a run of 250 feet (76 m) and is fed by two large lakes and a large watershed. The falls' elevation is at 3,086 feet (941 m).From the Wikipedia article “Jordan Creek Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jordan Creek 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 234° (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) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 52° NE | 9:12 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 126° SE | 4:13 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 45m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:53 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:52 PM | 16h 06m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 20m |
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 Jordan Creek Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May 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 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:55 AM – 4:15 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:50 AM – 2:50 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:44 AM – 1:24 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:57 PM – 12:37 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 10:40 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Jordan Creek Falls, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Lake
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Mountain PeakGlacier
Glacier
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Marble Creek Campground10.7 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Mineral Park Campground16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Buck Creek Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Goodell Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lower Goodell Group Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jordan Creek Falls?
What time is golden hour at Jordan Creek Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jordan Creek Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jordan Creek Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jordan Creek Falls?
How far is Jordan Creek Falls from Darrington?
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.