Jug Rock — a rock formation in Martin County, Indiana — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.9 km (6.2 mi) E of Loogootee.
Jug Rock is a natural geological formation located outside of Shoals, Indiana, in the valley of the East Fork of the White River. It is composed of sandstone, and is the largest free-standing table rock formation (also called a "mushroom rock") in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is part of the Mansfield formation, laid down in the Pennsylvanian geological epoch, roughly 325 to 286 million years ago. Erosion along fracture lines separated it from a nearby cliff. A companion feature, House Rock, stands opposite Jug Rock.From the Wikipedia article “Jug Rock”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jug Rock 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:52 AM | 90° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 59° ENE | 9:16 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:36 AM | 89° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 120° ESE | 5:30 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:35 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:45 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:46 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:43 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time (America/Indiana/Vincennes), 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 Jug Rock, 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 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 | 5:54 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:03 AM – 6:23 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 4:22 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 12:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:27 PM – 10:47 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:38 PM – 8:58 PM | 0.3 | 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 ≈ 21.5 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 72 | 80 | 83 | 89 | 107 | 107 | 101 | 101 | 94 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | -6 | -8 | -1 | 23 | 32 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 38 | 25 | 12 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
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 rock formation
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Jug Rock, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jug Rock?
What time is golden hour at Jug Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jug Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jug Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jug Rock?
How far is Jug Rock from Loogootee?
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.