Best viewing times
Rainbows, Spray and Moonbows
The spray that soaks you is also what makes the falls famous for rainbows. How to read the mist, stay dry and still get the shot.
What makes the rainbows
Sunlight entering the spray from behind the viewer splits into colour. That means the best rainbows appear when the sun is low and behind you, facing the falls.
- Mornings favour the viewpoints along the eastern path; afternoons favour the western end.
- Full bows appear most reliably in the dry months when the sun is bright and the spray is steady.
- Double rainbows are common in the middle of the day in high water — look above the main arc.
- Rainbow season peaks roughly April to August, when the sun is clear and the spray is still heavy.
Staying dry and still seeing it
You do not have to accept being soaked. A few choices keep you comfortable while everyone else wrings out their shirt.
- A light rain shell and quick-dry clothing beat an umbrella, which the wind turns inside out.
- The bridge and the eastern viewpoints stay comparatively dry even in high water.
- A dry bag for phone and passport is the single most useful thing you can carry.
- Waterproof sandals or grippy shoes: the path is not just wet, it is slick with spray.
Lunar rainbows
Around the full moon, moonlight through the mist produces moonbows — faint white arcs that only appear on clear nights.
- They are far subtler than daytime rainbows; let your eyes adjust and look slightly away from the arc.
- Long exposures on a camera show them best; on a phone, use night mode and hold very still.
- Ask at your lodge for the late-opening nights for the month, then book early.
- No mist, no moonbow — high-water months give the best odds.
Keeping your camera alive
Spray is the real enemy of every lens that comes to the falls. A small amount of care saves a lot of ruined photographs.
- Carry a microfibre cloth and a rain cover, and wipe the lens before every shot rather than after.
- Silica sachets in your camera bag soak up the humidity that fogs lenses later.
- Avoid changing lenses in the open — do it back at the entrance or in the car.
- Give cold gear time to acclimatise before you take it out of the bag in air-conditioned rooms.
Planning around this
Water levels and weather shift week by week, so treat the seasons here as a guide. Members posting from the falls can tell you what is actually happening this week.
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Best Viewing Times at the Falls
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