Big Painted Cave — a cave in Siskiyou County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Lava Beds National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 56 km (35 mi) SSE of Altamont.
From the National Park Service
Big Painted Cave ( 266 ft / 81 m) One of the "Least Challenging Caves" Irreplaceable historic Native American pictographs adorn the entrance areas of this short caves. Look closely to find the pictographs as they blend in with the rock. An easy 0.75 mi (1.21 km) hike is required to reach it.
Length: 266 feet. You can walk completely upright on main path. Cave has stairs/steps. Cave has a relatively "smooth" path. You must hike out to cave: ~0.5 miles. Distance from visitor center: 2.3 mile drive.
The caves found here were created by flows of smooth lava 10,500 to 65,000 years ago. As the lava cooled, caves formed and created homes for unique cave life to thrive. These fantastic underground worlds can be visited on your own or by guided tour in the summer. Please “take only pictures, leave only footprints” so others have a chance to discover what you have during your trip.
Certain caves are closed to protect bats. Please check with a ranger for current closures.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Painted Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:45 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Big Painted Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:53 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Big Painted Cave, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointNatural Arch
CaveNatural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Well Campground2.2 km (1.4 mi)
- Medicine Lake Recreation Area17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Painted Cave?
What time is golden hour at Big Painted Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Painted Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Painted Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Painted Cave?
How far is Big Painted Cave from Altamont?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.