Located in Marshall County, Alabama, Cathedral Caverns State Park is a cave. It sits roughly 16.3 km (10.1 mi) ENE of New Hope.
Cathedral Caverns State Park is a 493-acre (200 ha) public recreation area and natural history preserve in Kennamer Cove, Alabama, located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Grant and 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Woodville in Marshall County. The park, first known as Bats Cave , was developed as a tourist attraction in the 1950s. Cathedral Caverns was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1972 and opened as a state park in 2000.From the Wikipedia article “Cathedral Caverns State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cathedral Caverns State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 61° ENE | 8:02 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 118° ESE | 4:39 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 51m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Cathedral Caverns State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:45 PM – 3:45 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.0 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:35 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.33 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 72 | 76 | 82 | 85 | 93 | 105 | 104 | 106 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 74 |
| Low °F | 4 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 52 | 56 | 53 | 40 | 29 | 17 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 5.6 |
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 cave
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cathedral Caverns State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Waterfall
Natural Arch
State ParkScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cathedral Caverns State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cathedral Caverns State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cathedral Caverns State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cathedral Caverns State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cathedral Caverns State Park?
How far is Cathedral Caverns State Park from New Hope?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.