Bridal Veil Falls — a waterfall in Park County, Wyoming at about 1,633 m (5,358 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 39 km (24 mi) S of Red Lodge.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridal Veil Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 55° NE | 9:08 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 49m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Bridal Veil Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:19 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:17 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:36 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:20 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 44% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). July 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 | 44 | 44 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 88 | 95 | 92 | 88 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -14 | -1 | 7 | 24 | 35 | 32 | 17 | -9 | -18 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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.
- 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 Bridal Veil Falls, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hogan And Luce Campground9.1 km (5.7 mi)
- Island Lake Campground18.9 km (11.8 mi)
- Sunlight Rangers Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- M-K Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Greenough Lake24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridal Veil Falls?
What time is golden hour at Bridal Veil Falls?
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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.