Located in Montgomery County, Tennessee, Dunbar Cave State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Clarksville, about 5.3 km (3.3 mi) away (Dunbar Cave State Park lies ENE of town).
Dunbar Cave State Park is a 110 acre (450,000 m²) protected area in Clarksville, Tennessee. Dunbar Cave is the 393rd largest known cave complex in the world, stretching 9.85 miles (15.85 km) inward. The cave is located in an area of karst topography, including sinkholes, springs, and limestone bedrock. In front of the cave entrance is a large concrete poured structure with three distinct arches and the manmade Swan Lake. In March 2010 the cave was temporarily closed to tours and visitors because a bat infected with White nose syndrome was found in the cave.From the Wikipedia article “Dunbar Cave State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dunbar Cave 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) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 60° ENE | 8:12 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:58 AM | 119° ESE | 4:38 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Dunbar Cave 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 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:10 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 93 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 101 | 98 | 86 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | -1 | 3 | 23 | 36 | 47 | 54 | 51 | 38 | 26 | 13 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Dunbar Cave State Park, closest first.
State Park
Cave
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dunbar Cave State Park?
What time is golden hour at Dunbar Cave State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dunbar Cave State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dunbar Cave State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dunbar Cave State Park?
How far is Dunbar Cave State Park from Clarksville?
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.