Zilker Botanical Garden — a botanical garden in Travis County, Texas — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.1 km (1.3 mi) ESE of Rollingwood.
The Zilker Botanical Garden is a 28-acre (11 ha) botanical garden of varied topography located on the south bank of the Colorado River at 2220 Barton Springs Road, near downtown Austin, Texas, United States. Theme gardens include the Taniguchi Japanese Garden, The Riparian Streambed, The Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and The Mabel Davis Rose Garden. The Botanical Garden was established as a non-profit organization in 1955, and is the centerpiece of Zilker Park. It features several independently maintained gardens, each of a particular focus: City of Austin's Green Garden Cactus and Succulent Garden Hartman Prehistoric Garden Herb and Fragrance Garden Isamu Taniguchi Oriental Garden Mabel Davis Rose Garden Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail and Garden Pioneer VillageFrom the Wikipedia article “Zilker Botanical Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Zilker Botanical Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 62° ENE | 8:37 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 117° ESE | 5:36 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 11m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 12m |
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 Zilker Botanical Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 6:19 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 1:20 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:21 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 18.48 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). August 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 | 85 | 90 | 92 | 101 | 105 | 110 | 112 | 112 | 108 | 101 | 89 | 84 |
| Low °F | 17 | 17 | 21 | 34 | 43 | 61 | 65 | 65 | 50 | 33 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
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 botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Zilker Botanical Garden, closest first.
Lake
Cave
Mountain Peak
Lake
State Park
Botanical Garden
Lake
WaterfallFAQ
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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.