Cave Spring — a cave in Shannon County, Missouri — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Ozark National Scenic Riverways, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Salem, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Cave Spring lies S of town).
From the National Park Service
4.6 mile loop trail. This trail is moderate but long with short stretches classed as difficult as the trail climbs over the cliff presenting a challenging 'scramble'. Follow signs on KK east of Akers where a gravel access road leads to Devils Well (an ancient sinkhole at the bottom of which lies an underground lake the size of a football field).The loop trail, beginning at the Devils Well traverses oak-pine forest ridges, a limestone glade, winds through hollows and crosses intermittent streams as it brings hikers down to the mouth of Cave Spring on the Current River. The 'Cliff' segment of this loop trail traverses the side of a high limestone bluff overlooking the Current River with spectacular views, then returns to Devils Well via Parker Hollow alongside an intermittent stream bed
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cave Spring the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 59° ENE | 8:31 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 119° ESE | 4:52 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Cave Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.83 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 43% 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 | 70 | 72 | 82 | 86 | 97 | 108 | 106 | 106 | 99 | 94 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | -7 | -5 | 4 | 20 | 29 | 46 | 53 | 48 | 38 | 24 | 10 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Natural ArchNatural Arch
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pulltite3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Akers6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Round Spring11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Loggers Lake Campground20 km (12 mi) · reservable
- Alley Spring24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cave Spring?
What time is golden hour at Cave Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cave Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cave Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cave Spring?
How far is Cave Spring from Salem?
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.