Located in Josephine County, Oregon, Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a cave. It lies in or next to Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Williams, about 17.5 km (10.9 mi) away (Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve lies SW of town).
Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a protected area in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The 4,554-acre (1,843 ha) park, including the marble cave, is 20 miles (32 km) east of Cave Junction, on Oregon Route 46. The protected area, managed by the National Park Service (NPS), is in southwestern Josephine County, near the Oregon–California border.From the Wikipedia article “Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 57° ENE | 8:54 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). August 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 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 79 | 58 |
| Low °F | 7 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
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
- 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.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, closest first.
Wilderness Area
National Forest
Waterfall
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chinquapin Group Campground6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Bolan Mountain Lookout9.9 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Carberry Group Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Acorn Woman Lakes23 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Hart-Tish Park At Applegate Lake24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve?
What time is golden hour at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve?
Where does the sun rise and set at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve?
Can you see the Milky Way from Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve?
How far is Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve from Williams?
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.