Located in Marion County, Arkansas, Bull Shoals Caverns is a cave.
Bull Shoals Caverns is a limestone cavern located in Bull Shoals, Arkansas. The caverns were created approximately 350 million years ago, during the Ordovician period and were carved out by water method. The caverns were formed by water seeping into the cracks of the rocks, gradually enlarging the cracks and dissolving the surrounding rocks. There is an underground river that flows through the caverns. Bull Shoals Caverns has been open since 1958.From the Wikipedia article “Bull Shoals Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bull Shoals 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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 60° ENE | 8:32 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 119° ESE | 4:59 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Bull Shoals Caverns, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 | 4:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:26 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:31 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 78 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 109 | 108 | 111 | 104 | 94 | 84 | 73 |
| Low °F | 0 | -5 | 7 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 55 | 50 | 41 | 26 | 15 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Bull Shoals Caverns, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lakeview Park3.3 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Oakland Park8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Highway 125 Park Bull Shoals21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Theodosia Park22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Buck Creek (Mo)23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bull Shoals Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Bull Shoals Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bull Shoals Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bull Shoals Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bull Shoals Caverns?
How far is Bull Shoals Caverns from Bull Shoals?
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.