Located in Blount County, Alabama, Rickwood Caverns State Park is a cave. The nearest town is Smoke Rise, about 2.6 km (1.6 mi) away (Rickwood Caverns State Park lies WSW of town).
Rickwood Caverns State Park is a public recreation area and natural history preserve located 7 miles (11 km) north of Warrior, Alabama. The 380-acre (150 ha) state park offers tours of caverns with illuminated limestone formations estimated to be 260 million years old, blind cave fish, and an underground pool.From the Wikipedia article “Rickwood Caverns State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rickwood 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 61° ENE | 8:02 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Rickwood 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.2 | 27° | 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 | 9:07 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.1 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 74 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 108 | 105 | 107 | 103 | 101 | 88 | 78 |
| Low °F | 7 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 52 | 55 | 53 | 41 | 28 | 18 | 17 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
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
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Rickwood Caverns State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rickwood Caverns State Park?
What time is golden hour at Rickwood Caverns State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rickwood Caverns State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rickwood Caverns State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rickwood Caverns State Park?
How far is Rickwood Caverns State Park from Smoke Rise?
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.