Sunset Falls — a waterfall in Snohomish County, Washington at about 185 m (607 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gold Bar, about 12.5 km (7.8 mi) away (Sunset Falls lies ESE of town).
Sunset Falls is the final of the three waterfalls on the South Fork Skykomish River. The falls drop 104 feet (32 m) in a long, narrow, powerful chute. The river is thought to attain speeds of 60 kilometres (37 mi) an hour and the chute is nearly 300 feet (91 m) long. In high water, because of several potholes in the falls, water can sometimes shoot out as much as 30 feet.From the Wikipedia article “Sunset Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sunset 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) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 125° SE | 4:17 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 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 Sunset 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:16 AM – 1:56 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 12:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:55 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: 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 ≈ 20.97 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
- 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.
- 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 Sunset Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Heybrook Lookout1.2 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Money Creek Campground13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Troublesome Creek Campground15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Miller River Group Camp17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Beckler River Campground18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sunset Falls?
What time is golden hour at Sunset Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sunset Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sunset Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sunset Falls?
How far is Sunset Falls from Gold Bar?
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.