Cave of the Mounds — a cave in Dane County, Wisconsin — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mount Horeb, about 6.4 km (4.0 mi) away (Cave of the Mounds lies W of town).
Cave of the Mounds, a natural limestone cave located near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, United States, is named for two nearby hills called the Blue Mounds. It is located in the southern slope of the east hill. The cave's beauty comes from its many varieties of mineral formations called speleothems. The Chicago Academy of Sciences considers the Cave of the Mounds to be "the significant cave of the upper Midwest" because of its beauty, and it is promoted as the "jewel box" of major American caves. In 1987, the United States Department of the Interior and the National Park Service designated the cave as a National Natural Landmark.From the Wikipedia article “Cave of the Mounds”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cave of the Mounds the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 56° ENE | 8:43 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 122° ESE | 4:28 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Cave of the Mounds, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.85 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 49 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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 Cave of the Mounds, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cave of the Mounds?
What time is golden hour at Cave of the Mounds?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cave of the Mounds?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cave of the Mounds?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cave of the Mounds?
How far is Cave of the Mounds from Mount Horeb?
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.