Early morning, before 9 AM.

You want the least people? Get there at sunrise or within an hour after.

Goat Island opens early (usually 6 AM in summer), and the first hour is magic. No tour buses, no selfie sticks, no crowds blocking the rail. You get the falls to yourself for a solid 20-30 minutes before the first wave of visitors arrives.

Late afternoon also works — after 4 PM on weekdays — but the light is harsher and you risk the glare on the mist. Morning gives you soft light and fewer people.

Weekdays are obviously better than weekends, but the real cheat code is going the first hour after opening.