Graham Cave — a cave in Montgomery County, Missouri — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Graham Cave State Park. The nearest town is Montgomery City, about 10.0 km (6.2 mi) away (Graham Cave lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Graham Cave is a Native American archeological site near Mineola, Missouri in Montgomery County in the hills above the Loutre River. It is located in the 356 acre Graham Cave State Park. The entrance of the sandstone cave forms a broad arch 120 feet (37 m) wide and 16 feet (5 m) high. Extending about 100 feet (30 m) into the hillside, the cave protects an historically important Pre-Columbian archaeological site from the ancient Dalton and Archaic period dating back to as early as 10,000 years ago. Graham Cave was formed at the point of contact of Jefferson City dolomite and St. Peter sandstone. Due to water flowing and freezing, the cave grew over the years. The cave originally extended about 100 feet into the hill, but an accumulation of debris over the years filled the lower part of the cave with about seven feet of deposits. With a broad entrance, the cave provided sufficient...From the Wikipedia article “Graham Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Graham 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 302° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Graham Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 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 44% 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 | 71 | 77 | 82 | 88 | 96 | 108 | 109 | 107 | 102 | 94 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -9 | -14 | 2 | 20 | 30 | 48 | 52 | 48 | 37 | 22 | 9 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Graham Cave, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Graham Cave?
What time is golden hour at Graham Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Graham Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Graham Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Graham Cave?
How far is Graham Cave from Montgomery City?
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.