Located in Platte County, Wyoming, Cottonwood Falls is a waterfall at about 1,675 m (5,495 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Wheatland, about 37 km (23 mi) away (Cottonwood Falls lies NW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cottonwood Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 57° ENE | 8:42 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 122° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Cottonwood Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 1:43 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:41 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 6.5+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 56 | 57 | 72 | 78 | 89 | 97 | 97 | 94 | 92 | 80 | 67 | 56 |
| Low °F | -18 | -30 | -4 | 5 | 12 | 29 | 40 | 37 | 20 | -1 | -7 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Cottonwood Falls, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cottonwood Falls?
What time is golden hour at Cottonwood Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cottonwood Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cottonwood Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cottonwood Falls?
How far is Cottonwood Falls from Wheatland?
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.