Located in Kane County, Utah, Mammoth Cave is a cave. It is part of Dixie National Forest. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) SSW of Panguitch.
Mammoth Cave is a lava tube located on the Markagunt Plateau in the Dixie National Forest of Southern Utah, and is one of the largest lava tubes in Utah. The cave has over 2,200 feet (670 m) of passage and is about a quarter mile (400 m) long. It was formed by cooling lava and water less than 2,000 years ago. Due to moisture and its elevation of 8,050 feet (2,450 m) above sea level the cave stays cool year round. The cave has four chambers, the largest to the west. At the end of the largest tunnel, it narrows to a small opening that can be used as an exit. Although the cave is open year round, portions of it are closed off from October until April to protect hibernating bats. Additionally, Mammoth Creek Road may be completely impassable during the winter months due to snowfall.From the Wikipedia article “Mammoth Cave (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mammoth Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 59° ENE | 8:56 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 120° ESE | 5:16 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Mammoth Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 4:07 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:41 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 10:38 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:41 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 72 | 80 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 81 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -7 | 0 | 16 | 21 | 29 | 44 | 41 | 25 | 10 | 0 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mammoth Cave, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Volcano
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Dark Sky Place
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Duck Creek10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Panguitch Lake16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Spruces Campground (Dixie Nf)17.3 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Navajo Lake Campground18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- White Bridge19.9 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mammoth Cave?
What time is golden hour at Mammoth Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mammoth Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mammoth Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mammoth Cave?
How far is Mammoth Cave from Panguitch?
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.