Olentangy Indian Caverns is a cave in Delaware County, Ohio. The nearest town is Powell, about 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away (Olentangy Indian Caverns lies NNE of town).
The Olentangy Caverns are a series of caves, natural passages and rooms in Delaware, Ohio, occupying three different levels. The caverns were formed millions of years ago by an underground river that cut through the limestone rock. They were used by the Wyandotte Indians as a refuge from the weather and from their enemies the Delaware Indians. Artifacts found in the caverns indicate that it was used by the Wyandotte as late as 1810. The Olentangy Caverns are located at 1779 Home Road, and are open seasonally for self-guided tours.From the Wikipedia article “Olentangy Indian Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olentangy Indian Caverns 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 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 58° ENE | 9:06 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 121° ESE | 5:10 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Olentangy Indian Caverns, 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 6 (bright 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:00 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:34 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.34 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 63 | 71 | 80 | 81 | 89 | 99 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 90 | 78 | 69 |
| Low °F | -14 | -8 | 2 | 19 | 25 | 39 | 48 | 47 | 38 | 27 | 10 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Olentangy Indian Caverns, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Alum Creek Below Dam Area9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Delaware Lake Damsite Shelters18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olentangy Indian Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Olentangy Indian Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Olentangy Indian Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Olentangy Indian Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olentangy Indian Caverns?
How far is Olentangy Indian Caverns from Powell?
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.