Cosmic Cavern is a cave in Carroll County, Arkansas. The nearest town is Berryville, about 10.1 km (6.3 mi) away (Cosmic Cavern lies NE of town).
Cosmic Cavern is a limestone cave located in north Arkansas, near the town of Berryville, Arkansas. One brochure for the cave touts it as "Arkansas' Most Beautifully Decorated Cave." It is the "warmest" cave in the Ozarks, having a high humidity holding at a constant 64 °F year-round. Most caves in the area are between 55° and 60°. The cave has an abundance of formations (speleothems), including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, cave popcorn, cave bacon, and a multitude of soda straws and helictites. One section of the cave housing a particularly enormous group of soda straws has been dubbed "Silent Splendor." One of the longest soda straw formations in the Ozarks, this large formation has straws hanging up to nine feet in length.From the Wikipedia article “Cosmic Cavern”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cosmic Cavern 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) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 60° ENE | 8:36 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 119° ESE | 5:03 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Cosmic Cavern, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:31 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:35 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 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 (62%). 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 | 76 | 83 | 92 | 94 | 107 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 90 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -5 | 5 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 53 | 50 | 40 | 24 | 11 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- 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 Cosmic Cavern, closest first.
Cave
Ghost TownGhost TownGhost Town
LakeState ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Baxter14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Viola16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Mill Creek (Missouri)18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Cricket Creek18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Campbell Point18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cosmic Cavern?
What time is golden hour at Cosmic Cavern?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cosmic Cavern?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cosmic Cavern?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cosmic Cavern?
How far is Cosmic Cavern from Berryville?
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.