Located in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, Cherney Maribel Caves County Park is a cave. The nearest town is Cooperstown, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Cherney Maribel Caves County Park lies S of town).
Cherney Maribel Caves County Park is a county park located near Maribel in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The park occupies 75 acres along the West Twin River. Cherney Maribel Caves consists of eleven caves along a rugged cliff line that runs parallel with the West Twin River. Maribel New Hope Cave, Tartarus Cave, Sinkhole Cave and Split Rock Cave are all gated off, with visitors needing guides to visit those caves. They are gated due to past vandalism to the Speleothems, and to protect the current Speleothems.From the Wikipedia article “Cherney Maribel Caves County Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cherney Maribel Caves County Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 55° NE | 8:39 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 123° ESE | 4:15 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Cherney Maribel Caves County Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 2:34 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:20 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.26 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 59% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 45 | 53 | 69 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 92 | 92 | 86 | 79 | 67 | 58 |
| Low °F | -23 | -15 | -11 | 16 | 29 | 37 | 50 | 51 | 40 | 29 | 13 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
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
- 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.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- 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 Cherney Maribel Caves County Park, closest first.
Natural Arch
Sand DunesSand Dunes
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cherney Maribel Caves County Park?
What time is golden hour at Cherney Maribel Caves County Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cherney Maribel Caves County Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cherney Maribel Caves County Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cherney Maribel Caves County Park?
How far is Cherney Maribel Caves County Park from Cooperstown?
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.