Kennedy Falls — a waterfall in Thurston County, Washington at about 53 m (174 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Kennedy Creek Natural Resources Conservation Area. It sits roughly 10.8 km (6.7 mi) ENE of McCleary.
Wikidata describes it as: “waterfall in Thurston County, Washington, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kennedy 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 236° (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) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 53° NE | 9:12 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 125° SE | 4:26 PM | 236° SW | 19° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:24 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Kennedy Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:34 AM – 4:24 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:12 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:06 AM – 2:16 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:41 PM – 1:11 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 11:07 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.85 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
- 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.
- 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 Kennedy Falls, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Waterfall
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kennedy Falls?
What time is golden hour at Kennedy Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kennedy Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kennedy Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kennedy Falls?
How far is Kennedy Falls from McCleary?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.