Located in Jefferson County, West Virginia, Charles Town Cave is a cave.
Charles Town Cave — also formerly known as Crystal Lake Cave and Lakeland Cave — is located in the center of Charles Town, West Virginia, United States. One entrance was in the cellar of a bakery (since demolished) and led down to a passage about 175 feet long to a large pool of clear water about 25 feet in diameter. Much of the cave is under the current Old Opera House building. The cave was discovered accidentally in 1906 and was developed as a commercial show cave in the late 1920s and early '30s. Water sampling in 1997 showed the presence of petroleum contamination. The cave is closed to the public. Rumors persist about other entrances to the cave in various Charles Town and Ranson buildings.From the Wikipedia article “Charles Town Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Charles Town Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 120° ESE | 4:52 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Charles Town Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.63 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 68 | 76 | 78 | 89 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -10 | -5 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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 Charles Town Cave, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Covered BridgeCovered BridgeMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Huckleberry Hill Hiker-Biker Campsite10.4 km (6.5 mi)
- Antietam Creek Campsite17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Killiansburg Cave Hiker-Biker Campsite19.5 km (12.1 mi)
- Rohrbach Group Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Bend Hiker-Biker Campsite23 km (14 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Charles Town Cave?
What time is golden hour at Charles Town Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Charles Town Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Charles Town Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Charles Town Cave?
How far is Charles Town Cave from Charles Town?
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.