Located in Woods County, Oklahoma, Alabaster Caverns State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Mooreland, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Alabaster Caverns State Park lies N of town).
Alabaster Caverns State Park is a 200-acre (0.81 km2) state park approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Freedom, Oklahoma, United States near Oklahoma State Highway 50. The park attracted 24,706 visitors in FY 2016, The lowest count of the three parks in its part of Oklahoma. According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the park previously attracted about 40,000 visitors per year. It is home to the largest natural gypsum cave in the world that is open to the public. The gypsum is mostly in the form of alabaster. There are several types of alabaster found at the site, including pink, white, and the rare black alabaster. This black alabaster can be found in only three veins in the world, one each in Oklahoma, Italy and China. Another form of gypsum can be found in the many selenite crystal formations. The state considered closing Alabaster Caverns for budgetary...From the Wikipedia article “Alabaster Caverns State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alabaster Caverns State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 60° ENE | 8:59 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 119° ESE | 5:25 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 40m |
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 Alabaster Caverns State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:41 AM – 6:21 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:55 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 10:54 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 8:58 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 79 | 86 | 92 | 99 | 105 | 117 | 115 | 113 | 107 | 99 | 88 | 73 |
| Low °F | -1 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 33 | 50 | 58 | 55 | 43 | 21 | 17 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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 state park
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Alabaster Caverns State Park, closest first.
Natural Arch
State Park
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
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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.