Located in King County, Washington, Upper Twin Falls is a waterfall. The nearest town is Riverbend, about 4.9 km (3.0 mi) away (Upper Twin Falls lies ESE of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “waterfall”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Twin 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 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 | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 53° NE | 9:08 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 125° SE | 4:19 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:50 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Upper Twin Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:40 AM – 3:00 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:11 AM – 2:01 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:42 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.3 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.5 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 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Upper Twin Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
Waterfall
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tinkham Campground10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Middle Fork Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Denny Creek Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Twin Falls?
What time is golden hour at Upper Twin Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Twin Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Twin Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Twin Falls?
How far is Upper Twin Falls from Riverbend?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.