Grand Canyon Caverns is a cave in Coconino County, Arizona. The nearest town is Peach Springs, about 17.5 km (10.9 mi) away (Grand Canyon Caverns lies E of town).
The Grand Canyon Caverns (Havasupai: Ŧathiil Ñwaʼa or Ŧathiil Ñhaʼa, 35°31′44″N 113°13′54″W) are located a few miles east of Peach Springs, Arizona and lie 210 feet (64 m) below ground level. They are among the largest dry caverns in the United States. Because of the lack of water, stalagmites and stalactites are rare in the caverns.From the Wikipedia article “Grand Canyon Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grand Canyon Caverns the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:37 AM | 90° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 60° ENE | 7:52 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 119° ESE | 5:24 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 5:51 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:07 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:24 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 46m |
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 Grand Canyon Caverns, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:26 AM – 5:16 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:26 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:31 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:04 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:57 PM – 11:57 PM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:08 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:24 PM – 7:54 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (47%). July 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 | 75 | 77 | 87 | 92 | 102 | 109 | 109 | 107 | 105 | 96 | 85 | 73 |
| Low °F | 11 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 46 | 58 | 53 | 41 | 23 | 20 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grand Canyon Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Grand Canyon Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grand Canyon Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grand Canyon Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grand Canyon Caverns?
How far is Grand Canyon Caverns from Peach Springs?
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.