Boyden Cavern is a cave in Fresno County, California. It lies in or next to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Yokuts Valley, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Boyden Cavern lies ENE of town).
Boyden Cavern is a show cave located in the Giant Sequoia National Monument of the Sequoia National Forest, along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway in Fresno County, California. It is just west of Kings Canyon National Park.From the Wikipedia article “Boyden Cavern”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
From the National Park Service
Boyden Cavern is operated by a private company. For more information, visit Boyden Cavern .
Take a guided, 50-minute walking tour through this cavern, located below the towering 2,000 foot marble walls of the Kings Gates. A short but very steep trail leads to the cave, traveling under and around rock formations.
Tours are appropriate for all ages and are offered by a U.S. Forest Service partner, daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Tour operators recommend you wear hiking boots and a light jacket to keep you comfortable in the 55-degree cave. Tickets may be purchased in person or in advance (https://boydencavern.com). Wildlife Safety White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease killing bats in North America. It has had the most impact in the eastern half of the United States and in Canada, killing millions of bats. At least one bat as far west as Washington state was found dead from this disease. People can spread the fungus from one cave to another as it can be carried by shoes, clothing, or gear. If you have visited caves in other parts of the country, you must not wear the same clothing or equipment when visiting the cavern.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boyden 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 301° (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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 60° ENE | 8:18 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Boyden 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 24° 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 | 4:43 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:51 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:16 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 ≈ 21.67 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- 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.
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 Boyden Cavern, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Lake
Fire LookoutWaterfallScenic ViewpointWaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Convict Flat Campground1.4 km (0.9 mi)
- Landslide8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Logger Flat Group8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Hume Lake8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Hollow Group (Sequoia National Forest, Ca)8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boyden Cavern?
What time is golden hour at Boyden Cavern?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boyden Cavern?
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, National Park Service, 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.