Mary Campbell Cave — a cave in Summit County, Ohio — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Cuyahoga Falls, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Mary Campbell Cave lies SW of town).
Mary Campbell Cave, also known as Old Maid's Kitchen, is a small secondary rock shelter in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The cliff and cave roof are sandstone of the Sharon Formation, while the cave wall is shale of the Meadville formation. The cavity in the cliff was formed when water passing through the porous sandstone eroded the shale, leaving a ground-level cavity beneath the cliff. The cave is part of the Gorge Park, administered by Summit County Metroparks, and is accessible by Gorge Trail. It is located on the north wall of the gorge overlooking the Cuyahoga River. Elevation of floor is approximately 960 feet (290 m) AMSL. The cave is notable as the temporary home of Mary Campbell. A small plaque in the center of the cave gives visitors the story of her capture by Native Americans and reads:"In Memory of Mary CampbellFrom the Wikipedia article “Mary Campbell Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mary Campbell Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 57° ENE | 9:03 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 121° ESE | 5:01 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Mary Campbell Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:38 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.22 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 62 | 66 | 79 | 79 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -10 | -11 | -1 | 18 | 27 | 40 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 29 | 13 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mary Campbell Cave, closest first.
Lake
Covered Bridge
Lake
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State Park
Ghost Town
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mary Campbell Cave?
What time is golden hour at Mary Campbell Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mary Campbell Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mary Campbell Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mary Campbell Cave?
How far is Mary Campbell Cave from Cuyahoga Falls?
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.