Bell Witch Cave is a cave in Robertson County, Tennessee. The nearest town is Guthrie, about 11.7 km (7.3 mi) away (Bell Witch Cave lies ESE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bell Witch Cave is a karst cave located in Robertson County, Tennessee near the city of Adams, where the Bell Farm once stood. The cave is approximately 490 feet (150 m) long. The cave is privately owned, and tours are given during the summer months and in October. This cave has been associated with the haunting of the Bell Witch, a period during which the Bell family was allegedly haunted by an entity now referred to as the "Bell Witch." The cave is located on property once owned by the Bell family. Many believe that when the witch departed the family, she fled to the sanctuary of this cave. In the particular legend in which the cave is featured, young Betsy Bell and some of her friends had gone to explore the cave. While they were there, one of the boys crawled into a hole and became stuck. A voice cried out, "I'll get him out!" The boy felt hands grasping his feet, and he...From the Wikipedia article “Bell Witch Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bell Witch Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 60° ENE | 8:11 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 119° ESE | 4:37 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 41m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Bell Witch Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:36 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:16 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.07 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 71 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 93 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 101 | 98 | 86 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | -1 | 3 | 23 | 36 | 47 | 54 | 51 | 38 | 26 | 13 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Bell Witch Cave, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bell Witch Cave?
What time is golden hour at Bell Witch Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bell Witch Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bell Witch Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bell Witch Cave?
How far is Bell Witch Cave from Guthrie?
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.