Dripping Springs is a dark sky place in Hays County, Texas. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International.
Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,650 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area.From the Wikipedia article “Dripping Springs, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dripping Springs 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) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 62° ENE | 8:38 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 117° ESE | 5:37 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 15m |
| 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 | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 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 Dripping Springs, 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 3:20 AM | 5.2 | 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 | 8:22 PM – 9:22 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 ≈ 20.62 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 dark sky place
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Dripping Springs, closest first.
Waterfall
Cave
State Park
Botanical GardenWaterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Cave
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dripping Springs?
What time is golden hour at Dripping Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dripping Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dripping Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dripping Springs?
How far is Dripping Springs from Dripping Springs?
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.