Kickapoo Cavern State Park is a cave in Kinney County, Texas. The nearest town is Brackettville, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Kickapoo Cavern State Park lies N of town).
Kickapoo Cavern State Park is a 6,368 acres (2,577 ha) state park straddling the Kinney and Edwards county line in Texas, United States located 22 miles north of Brackettville that is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Kickapoo Cavern was opened as a state park in 1991.From the Wikipedia article “Kickapoo Cavern State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kickapoo Cavern State Park 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) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:43 AM | 62° ENE | 8:46 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:31 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 117° ESE | 5:48 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 | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 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 Kickapoo Cavern State Park, 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 32° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 6:30 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 5:00 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 1:39 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 11:29 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:32 PM – 9:32 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 87 | 99 | 96 | 105 | 107 | 109 | 110 | 110 | 107 | 101 | 94 | 88 |
| Low °F | 21 | 18 | 23 | 35 | 44 | 62 | 66 | 65 | 51 | 36 | 27 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
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
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- 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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kickapoo Cavern State Park?
What time is golden hour at Kickapoo Cavern State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kickapoo Cavern State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kickapoo Cavern State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kickapoo Cavern State Park?
How far is Kickapoo Cavern State Park from Brackettville?
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.