Located in San Diego County, California, Mud Caves is a cave. The nearest town is Pine Valley, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Mud Caves lies ENE of town).
The Mud Caves are a popular feature in Anza Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, California. The caves, located in the Carrizo Badlands, along the Arroyo Tapiado, were created by water flowing through a thick deposit of silt and are an example of pseudokarst topography. There are at least 22 caves, some up to 1,000 feet (300 m) in length and 80 feet (24 m) in height. Many of the caves are easily accessed. Some of the caves found here include: Big Mud Cave - The only cave marked on most maps. Hidden Cave - Impossible to find without precise directions. Chasm Cave - A popular cave with a skylight. Carey's Big Mud Cave - The largest cave in the arroyo. Plunge Pool Cave - A short cave that ends in a round room that towers above you. Dip Slope Cave - The small entrance is easy to miss.From the Wikipedia article “Mud Caves”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mud Caves the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 61° ENE | 7:57 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:44 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Mud Caves, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:14 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:23 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 10:16 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:35 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.27 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 80 | 88 | 90 | 95 | 105 | 111 | 111 | 109 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 24 | 24 | 31 | 31 | 37 | 43 | 53 | 50 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Mud Caves, closest first.
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cottonwood Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi)
- Burnt Rancheria22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Horse Heaven Group24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Wooded Hill Group24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Laguna24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mud Caves?
What time is golden hour at Mud Caves?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mud Caves?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mud Caves?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mud Caves?
How far is Mud Caves from Pine Valley?
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.