Old Caves Crater — a volcano in Coconino County, Arizona at about 2,186 m (7,172 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Coconino National Forest. It sits roughly 14.5 km (9.0 mi) NE of Flagstaff.
Old Caves Crater is a cinder cone located in Coconino National Forest, near Flagstaff, Arizona. Its name comes from the numerous small caves on the slopes of the cinder cone. A forest of new growth ponderosa pines cover the lower slopes of the cone, while a pinyon-juniper forest covers the upper slopes. A trail leads to the top of Old Caves Crater, providing views of the San Francisco Peaks and the surrounding area. In the 14th century, Native Americans built a settlement adjacent to the crater.From the Wikipedia article “Old Caves Crater”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Caves Crater 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:45 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Old Caves Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:23 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:30 PM – 3:20 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:26 PM – 1:56 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:49 PM – 11:49 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.21 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 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 volcano
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Old Caves Crater, closest first.
VolcanoVolcano
Mountain Peak
Volcano
Scenic ViewpointVolcanoVolcano
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Little Elden Springs Horsecamp4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Oleary Group Site9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Bonito Campground (Az)10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Lockett Meadow Campground12.2 km (7.6 mi)
- Canyon Vista18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Caves Crater?
What time is golden hour at Old Caves Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Caves Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Caves Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Caves Crater?
How far is Old Caves Crater from Flagstaff?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.