Located in Albany County, New York, Clarksville Cave is a cave. It sits roughly 9.0 km (5.6 mi) SSW of Voorheesville.
Clarksville Cave is a cave in Clarksville, Albany County, New York. Clarksville Cave is a horizontal cave system with 4,800 feet (1,500 m) of passage and three entrances.From the Wikipedia article “Clarksville Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clarksville Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 57° ENE | 8:38 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 122° ESE | 4:26 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 04m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Clarksville Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.38 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 70 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 100 | 98 | 93 | 86 | 74 | 68 |
| Low °F | -24 | -18 | -15 | 12 | 27 | 34 | 46 | 46 | 34 | 18 | 3 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 3.9 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Clarksville Cave, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Cave
State ParkWaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clarksville Cave?
What time is golden hour at Clarksville Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clarksville Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clarksville Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clarksville Cave?
How far is Clarksville Cave from Voorheesville?
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.