Nooksack Falls is a waterfall in Whatcom County, Washington at about 449 m (1,473 ft) above sea level. It is part of Mount Baker National Forest. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) E of Peaceful Valley.
Nooksack Falls is a waterfall along the North Fork of the Nooksack River in Whatcom County, Washington. The water flows through a narrow valley and drops freely 88 feet into a deep rocky river canyon. The falls are viewable from the forested cover near the cliffs edge. The falls are a short 2/3 of a mile drive off the Mount Baker Highway (State Route 542). The falls were featured in the hunting scene of the movie The Deer Hunter.From the Wikipedia article “Nooksack Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nooksack 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 309° (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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 52° NE | 9:15 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 126° SE | 4:13 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:21 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:56 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:16 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Nooksack Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:58 AM – 4:08 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:07 AM – 2:47 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:08 AM – 12:38 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 10:35 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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 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.
- 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 Nooksack Falls, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Waterfall
LakeScenic Viewpoint
Glacier
Wilderness Area
Lake
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Excelsior Group Camp1.0 km (0.6 mi) · reservable
- Douglas Fir Campground7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Silver Fir Campground8.3 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Park Creek Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Swift Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nooksack Falls?
What time is golden hour at Nooksack Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nooksack Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nooksack Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nooksack Falls?
How far is Nooksack Falls from Peaceful Valley?
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.