Lovelock Cave — a cave in Churchill County, Nevada — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lovelock, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Lovelock Cave lies SSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lovelock Cave (NV-Ch-18) is an archaeological site located near Lovelock in rural Churchill County, Nevada, United States. It has previously been known as Sunset Guano Cave, Horseshoe Cave, and Loud Site 18. The cave is about 150 feet (46 m) long and 35 feet (11 m) wide. Lovelock Cave is one of the most important classic sites of the Great Basin region because the conditions of the cave are conducive to the preservation of organic and inorganic material. The cave was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1984. It was the first major cave in the Great Basin to be excavated, and the Lovelock Cave people are part of the University of California Archaeological Community's Lovelock Cave Station.From the Wikipedia article “Lovelock Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lovelock Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 58° ENE | 8:27 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 121° ESE | 4:33 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 21m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Lovelock Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:43 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 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 August as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 74 | 73 | 81 | 91 | 103 | 105 | 110 | 105 | 103 | 92 | 78 | 67 |
| Low °F | 7 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 29 | 36 | 52 | 47 | 35 | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lovelock Cave, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lovelock Cave?
What time is golden hour at Lovelock Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lovelock Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lovelock Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lovelock Cave?
How far is Lovelock Cave from Lovelock?
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.