Gap Cave is a cave in Lee County, Virginia. It sits roughly 2.4 km (1.5 mi) NNW of Harrogate.
Gap Cave is located just underneath Pinnacle Overlook in the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Claiborne County, TN. The entrance to the cave is at the tristate area of Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky, just over the border into Virginia. Currently, the cave has a surveyed length of 18.5 miles and is the 42nd longest cave in the United States and 154th in the world. There are six known entrances: the Gap Cave Entrance (also known as the King Solomons Cave Entrance), an artificial entrance, known as the Cudjo's Cave Entrance, the Stream Entrance, the Soldiers Cave Entrance, the Big Saltpeter Cave Entrance, and the Wellhole. All lead into the same cave, Gap Cave.From the Wikipedia article “Gap Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gap 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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:17 AM | 60° ENE | 8:57 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 119° ESE | 5:23 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 | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 40m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Gap 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 5 (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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:37 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:16 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:53 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:51 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:26 PM – 8:56 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.03 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 82 | 93 | 105 | 104 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 84 | 73 |
| Low °F | -1 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 31 | 43 | 52 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 14 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
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 Gap Cave, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gap Cave?
What time is golden hour at Gap Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gap Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gap Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gap Cave?
How far is Gap Cave from Harrogate?
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.