South Llano River State Park — a dark sky place in Kimble County, Texas — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.7 km (3.5 mi) SW of Junction. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
South Llano River State Park is a 2,600 acres (1,052 ha) state park located along the South Llano River in Kimble County, Texas. The park opened to the public in 1990 and is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.From the Wikipedia article “South Llano River State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At South Llano River 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) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:38 AM | 62° ENE | 8:45 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 117° ESE | 5:43 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 11m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:32 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 06m |
| July | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 12m |
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 South Llano River 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 31° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 6:28 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 11:27 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:29 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 84 | 91 | 93 | 102 | 103 | 106 | 110 | 109 | 106 | 101 | 91 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 13 | 19 | 30 | 39 | 57 | 62 | 61 | 47 | 27 | 22 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
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.
- 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 South Llano River State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph South Llano River State Park?
What time is golden hour at South Llano River State Park?
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How far is South Llano River State Park from Junction?
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.