Screw Auger Falls
Grafton Notch, Maine · 1,057 ft
The Bear River drops through a polished granite slot only a few feet wide, with yellow birch and maple leaning in over the gorge walls. Flat overcast light keeps the wet rock from blowing out and buys you multi-second exposures.
Typical peak
Oct 1 – Oct 9
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
moderate
Fills up mid-morning. Arriving for first light is usually enough.
Getting there
Signed paved lot directly on ME 26 in Grafton Notch State Park about 8 miles north of Newry, with a 100-yard walk to the gorge.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- yellow birch
- american beech
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 5Typical color progression for Screw Auger Falls. No change from Aug 28 to Sep 14. First color from Sep 14 to Sep 23. Approaching peak from Sep 23 to Oct 1. Peak from Oct 1 to Oct 9. Past peak from Oct 9 to Oct 19. Bare from Oct 19 to Nov 2.
Color starts around Sep 14.
Light at peak
Screw Auger Falls on October 5, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:17 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 96° | 6:46 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 39 min of low, warm light | 7:25 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:32 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 39 min before sunset | 5:39 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 264° | 6:17 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:46 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 32m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.