Copper Breaks State Park — a dark sky place in Foard County, Texas — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Quanah, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Copper Breaks State Park lies S of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Copper Breaks State Park is a state park in Hardeman County, Texas, United States, managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The park covers 1,898.8 acres (768.4 ha) and opened in 1974.From the Wikipedia article “Copper Breaks State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Copper Breaks State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:29 AM | 61° ENE | 8:54 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 118° ESE | 5:34 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 53m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Copper Breaks State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 6:20 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:51 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:37 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 1:09 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 11:12 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (51%). July 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 | 79 | 89 | 94 | 103 | 106 | 115 | 114 | 114 | 107 | 100 | 89 | 82 |
| Low °F | 9 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 37 | 56 | 61 | 58 | 47 | 22 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
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 dark sky place
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Copper Breaks State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Copper Breaks State Park?
What time is golden hour at Copper Breaks State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Copper Breaks State Park?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Copper Breaks State Park?
How far is Copper Breaks State Park from Quanah?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.