Fox Cave is a cave in Lincoln County, New Mexico. The nearest town is Ruidoso Downs, about 9.8 km (6.1 mi) away (Fox Cave lies ENE of town).
Fox Cave is located on East Highway 70 between Roswell and Alamogordo, near Ruidoso, New Mexico. It was once used as a hideout by William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid and also known as Henry Antrim, a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier outlaw in the American Old West. Originally known as "Ice Cave" in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the rocks of Fox Cave are primarily micritic limestone. The cave was formed over thousands of years by erosion of the rock caused by the Ruidoso River. The Ruidoso River Museum was located at Fox Cave from 2013. The owner of the cave and museum constructed seven small buildings on the property at Fox Cave. The collection featured artifacts, photographs and documents relating to the notable figures of the Old West and those involved in the Lincoln County War, including Billy the Kid,...From the Wikipedia article “Fox Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fox Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 61° ENE | 8:16 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 118° ESE | 4:59 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 57m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Fox Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | 4:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 4:07 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 64 | 71 | 81 | 87 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 93 | 87 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | 9 | -6 | 11 | 22 | 26 | 42 | 51 | 49 | 36 | 15 | 15 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Fox Cave, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rob Jagger'S Campground15.2 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Cedar Creek (Sam Tobias)15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fox Cave?
What time is golden hour at Fox Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fox Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fox Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fox Cave?
How far is Fox Cave from Ruidoso Downs?
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.