Jacob's Well (Texas) — a cave in Hays County, Texas — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Woodcreek, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Jacob's Well (Texas) lies WNW of town).
Jacob's Well is a perennial karstic spring in the Texas Hill Country flowing from the bed of Cypress Creek, located northwest of Wimberley, Texas.From the Wikipedia article “Jacob's Well (Texas)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jacob's Well (Texas) 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 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 62° ENE | 8:37 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 117° ESE | 5:38 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 5:20 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Jacob's Well (Texas), 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| 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 | 2:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 5:01 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 1:22 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: 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 ≈ 20.65 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 May as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 92 | 92 | 101 | 103 | 107 | 111 | 110 | 107 | 100 | 90 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 19 | 31 | 41 | 58 | 62 | 62 | 48 | 29 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Jacob's Well (Texas), closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Park19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Potters Creek Park20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Cranes Mill Park23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jacob's Well (Texas)?
What time is golden hour at Jacob's Well (Texas)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jacob's Well (Texas)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jacob's Well (Texas)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jacob's Well (Texas)?
How far is Jacob's Well (Texas) from Woodcreek?
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.