Located in Jefferson County, Missouri, Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge is a natural arch at about 153 m (502 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.6 km (4.1 mi) SSE of Crystal City.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 71 | 77 | 82 | 88 | 96 | 109 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 94 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -9 | -11 | 4 | 20 | 33 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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 natural arch
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
Natural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge?
How far is Cliffdale Hollow Natural Bridge from Crystal City?
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.