Located in Pinal County, Arizona, Peppersauce Cave is a cave. The nearest town is San Manuel, about 11.0 km (6.8 mi) away (Peppersauce Cave lies SW of town).
Peppersauce Cave is a limestone cave found in the Santa Catalina Mountains approximately ten miles south of Oracle, Arizona. Peppersauce is frequented by about 23,000 visitors every year and contains approximately one mile of mapped passages.From the Wikipedia article “Peppersauce Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Peppersauce Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:34 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:12 AM | 89° E | 6:21 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 01m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 5:43 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:03 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 02m |
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 Peppersauce Cave, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:59 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 10:59 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:34 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:10 PM – 2:00 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:38 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.99 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 76 | 83 | 90 | 97 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 77 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 64 | 61 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Peppersauce Cave, closest first.
Canyon
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutScenic Viewpoint
Dark Sky Place
Natural ArchScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Peppersauce1.8 km (1.1 mi) · reservable
- Whitetail Campground12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Sollers Cabin (Az)12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Showers Point Group Site13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Peppersauce Cave?
What time is golden hour at Peppersauce Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Peppersauce Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Peppersauce Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Peppersauce Cave?
How far is Peppersauce Cave from San Manuel?
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.