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Caves in Kentucky

11 caves in Kentucky with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Edmonson County has the most (4). The darkest skies are at Great Onyx Cave (Bortle 3).

Top caves

Mammoth Cave National ParkCave
Mammoth Cave National ParkEdmonson County
Horse CaveCave
Horse CaveHart County
Carter Caves State Resort ParkCave
Carter Caves State Resort ParkCarter County
Great Onyx CaveCave
Great Onyx CaveEdmonson County
Lost River CaveCave
Lost River CaveWarren County
Colossal CavernCave
Colossal CavernEdmonson County
Saltpeter CaveCave
Saltpeter CaveCarter County
Cave
Fisher Ridge Cave SystemButler County
Cave
Eleven Jones CaveJefferson County
Cave
Martin Ridge Cave SystemEdmonson County
Cave
Great Saltpetre CaveRockcastle County

Caves by county

Map

How to photograph caves

Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.

  • 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.

Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.