Located in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Eleven Jones Cave is a cave. The nearest town is Audubon Park, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (Eleven Jones Cave lies N of town).
Eleven Jones Cave is located by Beargrass Creek in Louisville, Kentucky. It is 1,600 feet (490 m) southeast of the corner of Eastern Parkway and Poplar Level Road on the west bank, between Louisville Cemetery and Calvary Cemetery, near St. Xavier High School. It is developed in Louisville Limestone 448 feet above sea level. A spring discharges water into Beargrass Creek. The cave is the best known and most well documented in Jefferson County. It is popularly said to be named for being used by eleven brothers called Jones. However, some believe it was actually named from early residents Levin Powell and John Jones. The stoopway entrance that is 4.5 feet (1.4 m) high and 2.5 feet (0.76 m) wide leads to a forty-foot passage into a fairly normal limestone crawlway conduit cave. It is the only known habitat for the Louisville cave beetle, which is listed as a candidate for endangered...From the Wikipedia article “Eleven Jones Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eleven Jones Cave 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 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:47 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:21 AM | 59° ENE | 9:10 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:31 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 120° ESE | 5:27 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 7:30 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:39 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:16 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 31m |
Local time (America/Kentucky/Louisville), 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 Eleven Jones Cave, 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 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:40 AM – 6:00 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:58 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 5:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 11:05 PM – 4:15 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 12:57 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 10:52 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:34 PM – 8:54 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 68 | 73 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 99 | 95 | 81 | 71 |
| Low °F | -4 | -7 | -1 | 23 | 30 | 44 | 50 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 13 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
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.
- 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 Eleven Jones Cave, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eleven Jones Cave?
What time is golden hour at Eleven Jones Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eleven Jones Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eleven Jones Cave?
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How far is Eleven Jones Cave from Audubon Park?
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.