Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns is a cave in Pennington County, South Dakota. The nearest town is Colonial Pine Hills, about 5.2 km (3.2 mi) away (Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns lies S of town).
Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns was a limestone cave complex nine miles south of Rapid City, South Dakota on the way to Mount Rushmore and by the Wind Cave National Park. From 1934 to 2015, the cave was open for the public to tour daily from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.From the Wikipedia article “Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° NE | 8:40 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 123° ESE | 4:19 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 55m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 2:43 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.18 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 69 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 106 | 108 | 104 | 101 | 89 | 76 | 64 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -9 | 8 | 20 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 28 | 2 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
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.
- 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 Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Cave
WaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Botanical GardenScenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grizzly Bear Campground13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Sheridan North Cove Grp Cg13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Sheridan Lake13.6 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Lake Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Willow Creek Horse Camp19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns?
How far is Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns from Colonial Pine Hills?
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.