Whitaker Falls — a waterfall in Webster County, West Virginia at about 658 m (2,159 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) ENE of Webster Springs.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whitaker 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 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 59° ENE | 8:49 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 120° ESE | 5:04 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Whitaker Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 January 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 | 69 | 71 | 78 | 81 | 98 | 92 | 97 | 95 | 94 | 91 | 77 | 74 |
| Low °F | -6 | -5 | -4 | 19 | 26 | 38 | 48 | 45 | 36 | 25 | 13 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Whitaker Falls, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whitaker Falls?
What time is golden hour at Whitaker Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whitaker Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whitaker Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whitaker Falls?
How far is Whitaker Falls from Webster Springs?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.