Smoke Hole Caverns is a cave in Grant County, West Virginia. It sits roughly 12.4 km (7.7 mi) W of Petersburg.
Smoke Hole Caverns (SHC) is a picturesque show cave in Grant County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. SHC were opened to the public on 30 May 1940. They are located near the Smoke Hole Canyon from which the cave takes its name. They are located on WV 28 13 km west of Petersburg. Local lore has it that the cave was utilized during Prohibition by moonshiners. There is only one entrance into the caverns which made it secure and with an ever present supply of fresh water it was a perfect place to produce moonshine. SHC is owned and operated by Jerry and Janet Hedrick.From the Wikipedia article “Smoke Hole Caverns”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smoke Hole Caverns 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Smoke Hole Caverns, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:19 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 82 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 75 | 74 |
| Low °F | -8 | -5 | -8 | 20 | 24 | 35 | 46 | 44 | 35 | 22 | 10 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
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 Smoke Hole Caverns, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Ghost Town
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Creek Campground6.7 km (4.2 mi)
- Jess Judy10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Big Bend (Wv)10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Seneca Shadows21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smoke Hole Caverns?
What time is golden hour at Smoke Hole Caverns?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smoke Hole Caverns?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smoke Hole Caverns?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smoke Hole Caverns?
How far is Smoke Hole Caverns from Petersburg?
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.