Adobe Walls — a ghost town in Hutchinson County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Stinnett, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Adobe Walls lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Adobe Walls is a ghost town in Hutchinson County, 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Stinnett, in the U.S. state of Texas. It was established in 1843 as a trading post for buffalo hunters and local Native American trade in the vicinity of the Canadian River. It later became a ranching community. Historically, Adobe Walls is the site of two battles between Native Americans and settlers. In the November 1864 First Battle of Adobe Walls, Native Americans successfully repelled attacking troops led by Kit Carson. Ten years later, on June 27, 1874, known as the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, civilians at the Adobe Walls trading post successfully fought off an attack by a war party composed primarily of Comanche and Cheyenne warriors led by the Comanche chief Quanah Parker. The second battle led to a military campaign, which resulted in Indian relocation to Indian Territory. On May 22, 1978, the...From the Wikipedia article “Adobe Walls, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Adobe Walls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:49 AM | 90° E | 7:57 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:29 AM | 60° ENE | 9:05 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 119° ESE | 5:35 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:27 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:33 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:22 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 7:02 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Adobe Walls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:33 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 6:28 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 4:55 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:54 PM – 4:34 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 1:11 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:21 PM – 11:01 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:36 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 76 | 85 | 91 | 100 | 104 | 113 | 111 | 109 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 75 |
| Low °F | 5 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 31 | 47 | 55 | 55 | 38 | 20 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
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 ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Adobe Walls?
What time is golden hour at Adobe Walls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Adobe Walls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Adobe Walls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Adobe Walls?
How far is Adobe Walls from Stinnett?
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.