Monkey Cage Falls — a waterfall in King County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gold Bar, about 41 km (25 mi) away (Monkey Cage Falls lies ESE of town).
Monkey Cage Falls is a 16-foot (4.9 m) waterfall that flows from Tye River just over Stevens Pass, approximately 1767 feet above sea level, located in the U.S. state of Washington. Access is usually approached with kayaks, a hiking trail leads from a parking area to Deception Falls upstream from which improvised trails lead to the edge of the Tye River with angled views of the waterfall.From the Wikipedia article “Monkey Cage Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monkey Cage 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 308° (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) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:16 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:49 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:55 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Monkey Cage Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:41 AM – 3:01 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:15 AM – 1:55 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:44 PM – 12:54 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 10:54 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.4 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 36% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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
- 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 Monkey Cage Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
National Forest
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Fire Lookout
Mountain Pass
National Forest
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Beckler River Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Evergreen Mountain Lookout14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Miller River Group Camp15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Money Creek Campground16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Troublesome Creek Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Monkey Cage Falls?
What time is golden hour at Monkey Cage Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Monkey Cage Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Monkey Cage Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Monkey Cage Falls?
How far is Monkey Cage Falls from Gold Bar?
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.