Glenrio — a ghost town in Deaf Smith County, Texas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Tucumcari, about 62 km (39 mi) away (Glenrio lies E of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Glenrio, formerly Rock Island, is an unincorporated community in both Deaf Smith County, Texas, and Quay County, New Mexico, United States. Located on the former U.S. Route 66, the ghost town sits on the Texas–New Mexico state line. It includes the Glenrio Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Glenrio has one active business, a cannabis dispensary, located on the New Mexico side, where recreational cannabis sale and usage is legal. About 1/4 mile (0.4 km) south from Glenrio on State Line Road, is an active cattle ranch on the New Mexico side of the state line. The community was founded in 1903 as a railroad siding on the Rock Island Railroad. Its name is derived from Scots glen 'glen' and from Spanish rio 'river'.From the Wikipedia article “Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glenrio 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 242° (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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 60° ENE | 8:11 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:58 AM | 119° ESE | 4:45 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Glenrio, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:56 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.7 | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 73 | 80 | 87 | 96 | 102 | 108 | 109 | 105 | 99 | 94 | 85 | 73 |
| Low °F | 14 | 1 | 11 | 23 | 31 | 46 | 54 | 53 | 35 | 19 | 14 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Glenrio?
What time is golden hour at Glenrio?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glenrio?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glenrio?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glenrio?
How far is Glenrio from Tucumcari?
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.