Redmond Caves — a cave in Deschutes County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.8 km (1.7 mi) S of Redmond.
The Redmond Caves are a group of six lava tubes in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. The caves are located in the city of Redmond and are jointly managed by the city and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Five of the caves are in the Redmond Caves Park and have been known locally for over 100 years. The caves are part of the Horse Lava Tube System and the farthest northern extent of the system. The lava flow that created both the Horse system and the Redmond Caves continued into the Redmond Dry Canyon and terminated near Crooked River Ranch. The caves have a geologic age of about 80,000 years.From the Wikipedia article “Redmond Caves”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Redmond Caves the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 55° NE | 8:53 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:29 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Redmond Caves, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 2:48 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 19.09 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 July as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). July 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Redmond Caves, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
State Park
State Park
Covered BridgeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- South Shore Group Sites27 km (17 mi)
- South Shore Group Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Haystack Campground (East Shore)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Castle Rock Campground29 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Redmond Caves?
What time is golden hour at Redmond Caves?
Where does the sun rise and set at Redmond Caves?
Can you see the Milky Way from Redmond Caves?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Redmond Caves?
How far is Redmond Caves from Redmond?
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.