King Phillip's Cave is a cave in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) ENE of Norton Center.
King Philip's Cave is a cave in Norton, Massachusetts near Lake Winnecunnett. It may be accessed from Stone Run Drive off Plain Street near Bay Road and sits on a 7-acre (28,000 m2) parcel of land owned by the Land Preservation Society, an independent non-profit conservation organization chartered in 1970 by the State of Massachusetts. The cave is so named because Metacomet, the Wampanoag sachem also known as "King Philip", is said to have hidden here near the end of King Philip's War before meeting his death in the Great Miery Swamp in Bristol, RI. According to materials published by The Patriot Ledger: The town forest, where King Philip's Cave is located, and Lake Winnecunnett are both popular recreation sites. According to another source: Every Norton school child has been entertained with the legend of King Philip's Cave.From the Wikipedia article “King Phillip's Cave (Massachusetts)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At King Phillip's Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 57° ENE | 8:24 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 122° ESE | 4:17 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 08m |
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 King Phillip's Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:26 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:32 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 58 | 54 | 67 | 82 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 9 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 55 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of King Phillip's Cave, closest first.
Lake
Lake
State Park
Lake
State Park
Lake
State Park
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph King Phillip's Cave?
What time is golden hour at King Phillip's Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at King Phillip's Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from King Phillip's Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at King Phillip's Cave?
How far is King Phillip's Cave from Norton Center?
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.