Coronado cave — a cave in Cochise County, Arizona — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Coronado National Memorial, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Sierra Vista Southeast, about 12.2 km (7.6 mi) away (Coronado cave lies SSW of town).
Coronado Cave (31°21′4″N 110°15′38″W) is located on the Coronado National Memorial in Cochise County in southern Arizona near the Mexican border. Walking in the cave is rather easy and the temperature is consistent. Some rooms require crawling in order to enter. The cave has both stalactites and stalagmites. The cave has been measured to be approximately 600 feet long, 70 feet wide and 20 feet tall with several passages and crawl ways.From the Wikipedia article “Coronado Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coronado cave 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 298° (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) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 62° ENE | 7:29 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 117° ESE | 5:23 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 07m |
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 Coronado cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:54 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 10:53 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:06 PM – 3:36 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:03 PM – 2:03 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:11 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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 ≈ 21.48 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
- 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.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Coronado cave, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coronado cave?
What time is golden hour at Coronado cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coronado cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coronado cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coronado cave?
How far is Coronado cave from Sierra Vista Southeast?
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.