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38.6622° N96.4942° WBortle 2Chicago

Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill Photography Guide

Cave in Morris County, Kansas

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 240°–302°
  • Clearest: September
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep

Located in Morris County, Kansas, Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill is a cave.

Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill is a public park on Belfry Hill in Council Grove, Kansas. Council Grove established the park in 1901 due to the efforts of local booster Kate Aplington, who led private development and cleanup efforts on what had been poorly maintained city land. Aplington promoted the park by spreading its alleged connections to the Santa Fe Trail through two of its landmarks, Hermit's Cave and the bell tower from which Belfry Hill took its name.From the Wikipedia article “Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Council Grove
200 m
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
September
42% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
5.2 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:13 PM
sunset 6:49 PM

Light at Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill

Live
Sunrise
7:41 AM
Sunset
6:42 PM
Golden hour AM
7:24 AM – 8:17 AM
Golden hour PM
6:06 PM – 6:59 PM
Blue hour AM
7:14 AM – 7:24 AM
Blue hour PM
6:59 PM – 7:09 PM
Full darkness
8:11 PM – 6:13 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:53 PM / 1:47 AM
Day length
11h 01m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Chicago. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:30 AM90° E7:38 PM271° W51°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)6:02 AM59° ENE8:55 PM302° WNW75°14h 52m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:14 AM89° E7:25 PM271° W52°12h 10m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:41 AM120° ESE5:09 PM240° WSW28°9h 28m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:14 AM7:43 AM8:24 AM4:48 PM5:29 PM5:58 PM9h 46m
February6:51 AM7:18 AM7:55 AM5:27 PM6:04 PM6:31 PM10h 46m
March7:12 AM7:38 AM8:13 AM6:58 PM7:33 PM8:00 PM11h 55m
April6:23 AM6:50 AM7:26 AM7:27 PM8:03 PM8:30 PM13h 12m
May5:45 AM6:15 AM6:53 AM7:54 PM8:31 PM9:01 PM14h 17m
June5:30 AM6:02 AM6:41 AM8:13 PM8:53 PM9:25 PM14h 51m
July5:43 AM6:14 AM6:53 AM8:12 PM8:51 PM9:22 PM14h 37m
August6:12 AM6:41 AM7:17 AM7:46 PM8:22 PM8:50 PM13h 41m
September6:42 AM7:08 AM7:43 AM7:01 PM7:36 PM8:03 PM12h 28m
October7:09 AM7:36 AM8:12 AM6:13 PM6:49 PM7:16 PM11h 13m
November6:41 AM7:09 AM7:48 AM4:35 PM5:14 PM5:42 PM10h 05m
December7:08 AM7:38 AM8:19 AM4:25 PM5:06 PM5:36 PM9h 29m

Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
February5:33 AM – 5:43 AM0.212°SE → SE
March4:42 AM – 6:02 AM1.319°SE → SSE
April2:38 AM – 5:08 AM2.522°SE → S
May12:39 AM – 4:19 AM3.722°SE → S
June10:51 PM – 4:01 AM5.222°SE → SSW
July10:44 PM – 2:34 AM3.822°SSE → SW
August10:01 PM – 12:31 AM2.522°S → SW
September9:06 PM – 10:26 PM1.319°SSW → SW
October8:17 PM – 8:37 PM0.312°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—0°—
DecemberBelow 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 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 September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F7376839196106111113107948171
Low °F-12-3-3193045534939209-2
Precip. (in)1.01.62.33.75.45.33.94.73.43.11.31.3

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

  • 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.
  • 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 Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill, closest first.

Kaw MissionState Park
Kaw Mission0.4 km away · Morris County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill?
September has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
What time is golden hour at Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:13 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:49 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:12 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 59° in June to 120° in December; sunset ranges from 302° to 240°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill from Council Grove?
About 200 m in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.