Rock Dove Cave — a cave in Bexar County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Timberwood Park, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Rock Dove Cave lies ESE of town).
Rock Dove Cave is a cave in San Antonio, Texas, United States discovered by local boys who were exploring a construction site owned by McMillin Homes. The cave is believed to be the fifth largest in Bexar County.From the Wikipedia article “Rock Dove Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rock Dove Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 62° ENE | 8:38 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 117° ESE | 5:40 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Rock Dove Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 6:22 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 1:22 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:24 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 19.32 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). August 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 | 84 | 95 | 95 | 103 | 105 | 109 | 110 | 112 | 108 | 99 | 90 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 43 | 61 | 64 | 65 | 51 | 34 | 25 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Rock Dove Cave, closest first.
Cave
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Cave
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rock Dove Cave?
What time is golden hour at Rock Dove Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rock Dove Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rock Dove Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rock Dove Cave?
How far is Rock Dove Cave from Timberwood Park?
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.