Located in Floyd County, Georgia, Cave Spring, Georgia is a cave. It lies in or next to Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail, so park hours, fees and rules apply.
From the National Park Service
The Vann Cherokee Cabin was built by a Cherokee, David Vann, and is now surrounded by the town of Cave Spring . This site represents the first removal phase - where the military actively rounded up Cherokee and sent them to forts and camps to be organized for the journey west to Indian Territory (today's Oklahoma). These holding camps had deplorable conditions and for the Cherokee, who were already demoralized, the conditions caused some deaths before the final journey even began.
At first, Cherokee actively, physically resisted removal by staying in their home. They were removed by force. In the camps, they suffered from exposure, disease epidemics, inadequate sanitation, and heartbreak, remaining prisoners in the camps until their final deportation to the West. Site Information Location (24 Broad St, Cave Spring, GA 30124) Cave Spring is located in Floyd County, Georgia, within a few miles state of Alabama, 75 miles from Atlanta, and 16 miles from Rome. It is a small town and has a flowing spring that comes out of a cave, as it has for millennia. The area is lush and the stable water source made the land verdant and valuable for growing crops. Ironically, water sources were important during Indian Removal when large groups of people being forcibly moved to camps. In the center of town there is a park that gives access to the spring which now flows into a pond and swimming pool filled by the spring.
The historic building allows visitors to imagine the scene as Cherokee passed during removal. Built by Avery Vann, Jr., (1770-1845), a Scottish trader who married a Cherokee woman. He was the brother of Cherokee Chief James Vann and his prominence in the area led to its designation as Vann’s Valley. For many years, the structure was hidden within the walls of the old Webster-Green Hotel in downtown Cave Spring.
The cabin, spring, and park offer a place to reflect on the Trail of Tears.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cave Spring, Georgia 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 61° ENE | 8:57 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 118° ESE | 5:36 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 53m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Cave Spring, Georgia, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 6:22 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:53 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 4:39 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 1:11 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 11:14 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:31 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.25 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 77 | 84 | 86 | 94 | 107 | 105 | 105 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 37 | 51 | 55 | 53 | 40 | 28 | 18 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
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.
- 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.
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 Cave Spring, Georgia, closest first.
FAQ
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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.