Located in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, Trail Creek Caves is a cave.
The Trail Creek Caves are a group of twelve caves found within the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve on the Seward Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska. This is a significant archaeological site due to the discovery of several artifacts of ancient hunters. These included stone tools and bone fragments dated to 8,500 years or earlier. The caves were discovered in 1928 by Taylor Moto and Alfred Karmun, locals from Deering, Alaska. Geologist David Hopkins tested the site in 1948. This location was first excavated in from 1949-1950 by Danish archaeologist Helge Larsen. The caves are located along Trail Creek 65°47′28″N 163°24′58″W near its mouth at Cottonwood Creek in the Northwest Arctic Borough.From the Wikipedia article “Trail Creek Caves”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At this latitude the sun does not rise or set on some days of the year, so check the monthly table below for daylight and twilight.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:54 AM | 88° E | 9:10 PM | 272° W | 24° | 12h 16m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 48° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:37 AM | 88° E | 8:57 PM | 273° W | 24° | 12h 20m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 12:24 PM | 160° SSE | 3:22 PM | 201° SSW | 1° | 2h 58m |
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 | 10:27 AM | 11:44 AM | — | — | 4:24 PM | 5:41 PM | 4h 40m |
| February | 9:03 AM | 9:58 AM | 11:26 AM | 4:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 7:14 PM | 8h 21m |
| March | 8:23 AM | 9:13 AM | 10:21 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:44 PM | 11h 40m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:25 AM | 9:24 PM | 10:34 PM | 11:35 PM | 15h 20m |
| May | — | 5:18 AM | 6:53 AM | 10:49 PM | 12:24 AM | — | 19h 05m |
| June | — | 3:12 AM | 6:03 AM | 11:47 PM | 2:39 AM | — | 23h 27m |
| July | — | 4:36 AM | 6:32 AM | 11:28 PM | 1:24 AM | — | 20h 48m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:52 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:23 PM | 12:38 AM | 16h 49m |
| September | 7:23 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:22 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:16 PM | 13h 08m |
| October | 8:58 AM | 9:50 AM | 11:06 AM | 6:14 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:22 PM | 9h 40m |
| November | 9:33 AM | 10:40 AM | — | — | 4:39 PM | 5:45 PM | 5h 59m |
| December | 10:41 AM | 12:17 PM | — | — | 3:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 3h 06m |
Local time (America/Nome), 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 | — | -14° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 48 | 72 | 81 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 36 | 34 |
| Low °F | -45 | -46 | -34 | -20 | -2 | 22 | 30 | 27 | 18 | -2 | -23 | -33 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Trail Creek Caves, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trail Creek Caves?
What time is golden hour at Trail Creek Caves?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trail Creek Caves?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trail Creek Caves?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trail Creek Caves?
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.