On Your Knees Cave is a cave in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska. It sits roughly 133 km (83 mi) SE of Sitka.
On Your Knees Cave (49-PET-408) is an archaeological site located in southeastern Alaska (Prince of Wales Island). Human remains were found at the site in 1996 that dated between 9,730 ±60 and 9,880±50 radiocarbon YBP (Years Before Present) or a calendrical date of 10,300 YBP. In addition to human skeletal remains, stone tools and animal bones were discovered. DNA analyses performed on the human skeletal remains document the presence of mitochondrial haplogroup D which occurs widely in the Americas. Isotopic analysis indicated that the individual had a primarily marine based diet.From the Wikipedia article “On Your Knees Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At On Your Knees Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 43° (NE) at the June solstice and 134° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 318° (NW) in June to 226° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 57° in summer but only 10° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 34° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:06 AM | 43° NE | 9:48 PM | 318° NW | 57° | 17h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 88° E | 6:55 PM | 272° W | 34° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:27 AM | 134° SE | 3:19 PM | 226° SW | 10° | 6h 52m |
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 | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:30 AM | 2:39 PM | 3:51 PM | 4:36 PM | 7h 33m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 36m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 5:07 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:11 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 13m |
| May | 3:49 AM | 4:40 AM | 5:38 AM | 8:05 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:54 PM | 16h 23m |
| June | 3:02 AM | 4:06 AM | 5:11 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:50 PM | 17h 40m |
| July | 3:31 AM | 4:28 AM | 5:30 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:31 PM | 17h 06m |
| August | 4:41 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 09m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 48m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 28m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:38 AM | 2:42 PM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 8h 13m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:44 AM | 1:57 PM | 3:18 PM | 4:06 PM | 6h 55m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). August 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 | 49 | 48 | 61 | 69 | 72 | 83 | 79 | 80 | 72 | 64 | 53 | 49 |
| Low °F | 4 | 7 | 5 | 27 | 29 | 39 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 24 | 4 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.7 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 11.4 | 11.7 | 11.0 | 10.5 |
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
- 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.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- 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 On Your Knees Cave, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Bay Lake Cabin19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- El Capitan Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- El Capitan Cabin25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Salmon Bay Lake Cabin26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Shipley Bay Cabin27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph On Your Knees Cave?
What time is golden hour at On Your Knees Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at On Your Knees Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from On Your Knees Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at On Your Knees Cave?
How far is On Your Knees Cave from Sitka?
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.