Skeleton Cave is a cave in Maricopa County, Arizona. The nearest town is Gold Canyon, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Skeleton Cave lies NNE of town).
Skeleton Cave is a cave in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The cave is within the Salt River Canyon Wilderness and is located on the northern wall of the Salt River Canyon near the Horse Mesa Dam. It was the site of the 1872 massacre of the Yavapai people in the Skeleton Cave massacre. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.From the Wikipedia article “Skeleton Cave (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Skeleton 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:30 AM | 90° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:40 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:14 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Skeleton Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:20 PM – 3:30 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:16 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:43 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 7:57 PM – 9:57 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:15 PM – 7:55 PM | 0.7 | 17° | 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 ≈ 20.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 81 | 82 | 93 | 98 | 107 | 114 | 112 | 110 | 109 | 101 | 91 | 79 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 64 | 50 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- 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 Skeleton Cave, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Mountain PeakWaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tortilla Campground6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Burnt Corral Campground16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Larry Forbis Overnight Group Site19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Cholla Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Frazier Horse Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Skeleton Cave?
What time is golden hour at Skeleton Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Skeleton Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Skeleton Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Skeleton Cave?
How far is Skeleton Cave from Gold Canyon?
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.