Lava Caves — a cave in Skamania County, Washington at about 889 m (2,917 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) N of Carson.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lava Caves the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:26 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 40m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Lava Caves, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:17 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:43 PM – 2:33 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:23 PM – 1:13 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 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 July as the clearest month (about 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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.
- 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 Lava Caves, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Volcano
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Paradise Creek Campground5.3 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- Govt Mineral Springs Guard Sta12.0 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Campground12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Panther Creek Campground13.9 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Creek Cg (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lava Caves?
What time is golden hour at Lava Caves?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lava Caves?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lava Caves?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lava Caves?
How far is Lava Caves from Carson?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.