Swampy Meadows Falls — a waterfall in Skamania County, Washington — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is White Salmon, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Swampy Meadows Falls lies NNW of town).
Swampy Creek Falls is a scenic, two-tiered horsetail waterfall along an unnamed tributary of the White Salmon River, originating from Swampy Meadows, on Mount Adams west slope, with a total height of 52 ft (16 m). Its main drop is about 30 ft (9 m) feet. It cascades down over an exposure of andesite, then veiling out over sloped ledges below, among a secluded forest. The falls are located not more than 800 feet from Forest Route 23, and is noted for having a secluded nature, seeming as if nothing is around for miles. It can be accessed while heading to the Midway High Lakes Area and Takhlakh Lake from Trout Lake or the Lewis River. From the road, viewers have to follow the Pacific Crest Trail for a few hundred feet, then crossing an unnamed stream on a footbridge. From here, hikers must follow the creek downstream to the top of the falls, then descending down to its base. The falls...From the Wikipedia article “Swampy Meadows Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Swampy Meadows Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:24 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 39m |
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 Swampy Meadows Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:19 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:26 PM – 1:16 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:07 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.61 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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 Swampy Meadows Falls, closest first.
National Forest
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
National ForestWaterfall
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Takhlakh Lake Campground 13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Creek Cg (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Lewis River Hc (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Lower Falls Campground19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Adams Fork Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.