Ribbon Cascade is a waterfall in Teton County, Wyoming at about 2,309 m (7,575 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Grand Teton National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) NNE of Moose Wilson Road.
Ribbon Cascade is located in Hanging Canyon, Grand Teton National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The cascade drops approximately 600 feet (180 m) near the eastern end of Hanging Canyon, and west of Jenny Lake. Fed by an unnamed intermittent stream, the peak time for waterflow through the cascade is during spring snowmelt. However, the Ribbon Cascade is rarely dry as it is the only discharge for the Lake of the Crags, Ramshead Lake and Arrowhead Pool. There are no maintained trails to the cascade, though it can be seen during peak waterflow from the east shore of Jenny Lake, just to the north of Cascade Canyon.From the Wikipedia article “Ribbon Cascade (Teton County, Wyoming)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ribbon Cascade the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 56° NE | 9:09 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 123° ESE | 4:49 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Ribbon Cascade, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 33 | 33 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 89 | 83 | 74 | 57 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -31 | -23 | -10 | 5 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 18 | -3 | -19 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ribbon Cascade, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Lake
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Jenny Lake Campground3.3 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Signal Mountain Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Teton Canyon13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Reunion Flat16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Marina End Ties16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ribbon Cascade?
What time is golden hour at Ribbon Cascade?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ribbon Cascade?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ribbon Cascade?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ribbon Cascade?
How far is Ribbon Cascade from Moose Wilson Road?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.