Boonville — a ghost town in Brazos County, Texas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Bryan, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Boonville lies E of town).
Boonville was the first county seat of Brazos County, Texas, United States. It is now located in the city of Bryan, Texas.From the Wikipedia article “Boonville, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boonville 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 62° ENE | 8:32 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 117° ESE | 5:29 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 10m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 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 Boonville, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:54 AM – 6:14 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 4:55 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 4:38 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 3:15 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 1:16 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:13 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 9:15 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.56 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 (61%). 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 | 81 | 88 | 90 | 98 | 102 | 109 | 108 | 110 | 106 | 98 | 89 | 83 |
| Low °F | 17 | 18 | 20 | 34 | 43 | 62 | 66 | 64 | 50 | 35 | 24 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
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 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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boonville?
What time is golden hour at Boonville?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boonville?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boonville?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boonville?
How far is Boonville from Bryan?
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.