Bracken Cave — a cave in Comal County, Texas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.4 km (4.6 mi) NW of Garden Ridge.
Bracken Cave is a cave located in southern Comal County, Texas, outside the city of San Antonio. The 100-foot (30 m)-wide crescent shaped opening to the cave lies at the bottom of a sinkhole, formed when the roof of the cave collapsed. It is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world. An estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October, making it the largest known concentration of mammals in the world. The cave and undeveloped 1,521 acres (616 ha) around it are owned by Austin, Texas-based Bat Conservation International, which restores the land to support native vegetation and an abundant variety of wildlife. Bat Conservation International bought the initial 697 acres (282 ha) from the Marbach family in 1992, and has been assisted in preservation efforts by The Nature Conservancy. Access to the cave is restricted to protect the...From the Wikipedia article “Bracken Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bracken Cave 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 62° ENE | 8:38 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 117° ESE | 5:39 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Bracken Cave, 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 6:21 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 5:10 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:23 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.05 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 84 | 95 | 95 | 103 | 105 | 109 | 110 | 112 | 108 | 99 | 90 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 43 | 61 | 64 | 65 | 51 | 34 | 25 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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 cave
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bracken Cave, closest first.
Cave
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cranes Mill Park23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- North Park25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Potters Creek Park25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bracken Cave?
What time is golden hour at Bracken Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bracken Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bracken Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bracken Cave?
How far is Bracken Cave from Garden Ridge?
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.