Cave of the Bells is a cave in Pima County, Arizona. The nearest town is Green Valley, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Cave of the Bells lies ESE of town).
Cave of the Bells is located in Sawmill Canyon on the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. The cave contains a lake which is 80 meters below the entrance level. The lake has been measured at 76 °F (24 °C) and is believed to be warmed by sources below. Nearby Onyx Cave is also of interest.From the Wikipedia article “Cave of the Bells”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cave of the Bells the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:28 AM | 90° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 62° ENE | 7:32 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:12 AM | 89° E | 6:21 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:24 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 04m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:10 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:02 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 05m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Cave of the Bells, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:57 AM – 4:27 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:10 PM – 3:30 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.44 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (62%). June is the warmest month and December 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 | 76 | 83 | 86 | 95 | 104 | 109 | 105 | 103 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 36 | 49 | 59 | 59 | 49 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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 Cave of the Bells, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Canyon
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kentucky Camp Cabin And Headquarters Building3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Kent Springs Cabin9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cave of the Bells?
What time is golden hour at Cave of the Bells?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cave of the Bells?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cave of the Bells?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cave of the Bells?
How far is Cave of the Bells from Green Valley?
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.