Longhorn Cavern State Park — a cave in Burnet County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.1 km (5.7 mi) ENE of Kingsland.
Longhorn Cavern State Park is a 645.62 acres (261 ha) state park located in Burnet County, Texas, United States. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is administrator of the facility. The land for Longhorn Cavern State Park was acquired between 1932 and 1937 from private owners. It was dedicated as a state park in 1932 and in 1938 was opened to the public. In 1971, the cavern was dedicated as a National Natural Landmark. The park's administration building was listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1989.From the Wikipedia article “Longhorn Cavern State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Longhorn 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 62° ENE | 8:40 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 117° ESE | 5:37 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 09m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 10m |
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 Longhorn Cavern State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | 4:52 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 6:22 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:16 PM – 4:46 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 1:23 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:23 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: 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 ≈ 21.12 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
- 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.
- 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 Longhorn Cavern State Park, closest first.
Natural Arch
State Park
Lake
Mountain Peak
Lake
Dark Sky Place
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Longhorn Cavern State Park?
What time is golden hour at Longhorn Cavern State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Longhorn Cavern State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Longhorn Cavern State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Longhorn Cavern State Park?
How far is Longhorn Cavern State Park from Kingsland?
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.