Onondaga Cave State Park — a cave in Crawford County, Missouri at about 201 m (659 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 10.7 km (6.6 mi) S of Bourbon.
Onondaga Cave State Park is a Missouri state park located on the Meramec River approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of the village of Leasburg. The park was established in 1982. Park activities include cave tours, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming.From the Wikipedia article “Onondaga Cave State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Onondaga Cave State Park 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:32 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Onondaga Cave State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 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 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
- 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.
- 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 Onondaga Cave State Park, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Onondaga Cave State Park?
What time is golden hour at Onondaga Cave State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Onondaga Cave State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Onondaga Cave State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Onondaga Cave State Park?
How far is Onondaga Cave State Park from Bourbon?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.