Lake Shasta Caverns is a cave in Shasta County, California. It sits roughly 14.9 km (9.3 mi) NNE of Shasta Lake.
The Lake Shasta Caverns are a network of caves located near the McCloud arm of Shasta Lake in California. It was formerly named Chalk Cave and Baird Cave, named after Spencer Fullerton Baird.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Shasta Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Shasta Caverns the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:45 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Lake Shasta Caverns, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 83 | 89 | 101 | 112 | 118 | 114 | 111 | 102 | 86 | 69 |
| Low °F | 14 | 21 | 24 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 50 | 40 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.0 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 8.3 |
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
- 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 Lake Shasta Caverns, closest first.
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bailey Cove1.9 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- Nelson Point6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Salt Creek Dispersed Area (Ca)6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Mariners Point Group Campground7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Hirz Bay8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Shasta Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Lake Shasta Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Shasta Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Shasta Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Shasta Caverns?
How far is Lake Shasta Caverns from Shasta Lake?
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.