Indian Cave State Park — a state park in Richardson County, Nebraska — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.9 km (11.1 mi) S of Rock Port.
Indian Cave State Park is a public recreation and historic preservation area covering nearly 3,400 acres (1,400 ha) along the Missouri River in southeast Nebraska. The state park preserves a cave with prehistoric petroglyphs as well as the partially reconstructed village of St. Deroin established in 1853 as part of the former Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation. The state park lies ten miles (16 km) south of Brownville and eight miles (13 km) east of Shubert, straddling the county line between Nemaha and Richardson counties. Some of the carvings within Indian Cave are believed to be several thousand years old, but their exact period and cultural affiliations are undetermined. The park offers 22 miles of hiking and biking trails, 16 miles of equestrian trails, camping, picnic facilities, fishing areas, and boating access to the Missouri River.From the Wikipedia article “Indian Cave State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Indian Cave State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 58° ENE | 8:56 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 121° ESE | 5:00 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Indian Cave State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:00 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:48 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 3:48 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.73 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 60 | 70 | 83 | 90 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 106 | 100 | 90 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | -19 | -8 | -8 | 17 | 30 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 39 | 21 | 9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 state park
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Indian Cave State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Indian Cave State Park?
What time is golden hour at Indian Cave State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Indian Cave State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Indian Cave State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Indian Cave State Park?
How far is Indian Cave State Park from Rock Port?
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.