Located in Tucker County, West Virginia, Elakala Falls is a waterfall. It is part of Blackwater Falls. The nearest town is Parsons, about 15.8 km (9.8 mi) away (Elakala Falls lies E of town).
The Elakala Falls are a series of four waterfalls of Shays Run as it descends into the Blackwater Canyon in West Virginia. They are within Blackwater Falls State Park and are quite popular among photographers, with the ease of access for the first waterfall, and the relatively low traffic of the other waterfalls in the series.From the Wikipedia article “Elakala Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Elakala Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 26m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Elakala Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- 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.
- 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 Elakala Falls, closest first.
Waterfall
Canyon
Fire Lookout
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Ghost TownGhost Town
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Horseshoe Recreation Area11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Red Creek Campground18.0 km (11.2 mi)
- Bear Heaven Campground25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Elakala Falls?
What time is golden hour at Elakala Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Elakala Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Elakala Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Elakala Falls?
How far is Elakala Falls from Parsons?
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.