Located in Stone County, Arkansas, Blanchard Springs Caverns is a cave. The nearest town is Mountain View, about 12.0 km (7.5 mi) away (Blanchard Springs Caverns lies NNW of town).
Blanchard Springs Caverns is a cave system located in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forest in Stone County in northern Arkansas, USA, 2 miles (3.2 km) off Highway 14 a short distance north of Mountain View. It is the only tourist cave owned by the United States Forest Service and the only one owned by the federal government outside the National Park System. Blanchard Springs Caverns is a three-level cave system, all of which can be viewed on guided tours.From the Wikipedia article “Blanchard Springs Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blanchard Springs 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:59 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Blanchard Springs Caverns, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:35 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:30 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 72 | 77 | 83 | 90 | 95 | 107 | 108 | 114 | 102 | 93 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | -2 | 9 | 22 | 35 | 53 | 56 | 52 | 42 | 28 | 17 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Blanchard Springs Caverns, closest first.
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Blanchard Springs Campgrounds1.0 km (0.6 mi)
- Blanchard Springs Recreation Area1.2 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Gunner Pool Campground4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Barkshed Campground8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blanchard Springs Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Blanchard Springs Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blanchard Springs Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blanchard Springs Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blanchard Springs Caverns?
How far is Blanchard Springs Caverns from Mountain View?
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.