Located in Brewster County, Texas, Terlingua is a ghost town. The nearest town is Alpine, about 115 km (72 mi) away (Terlingua lies S of town).
Terlingua ( tər-LING-gwə) is a mining district and census-designated place (CDP) in southwestern Brewster County, Texas, United States. It is located near the Rio Grande and the villages of Lajitas and Study Butte, Texas, as well as the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The discovery of cinnabar, from which the metal mercury is extracted, in the mid-1880s brought miners to the area, creating a city of 2,000 people. The only remnants of the mining days are a ghost town of the Howard Perry-owned Chisos Mining Company and several nearby capped and abandoned mines: the California Hill, the Rainbow, the 248, and the Study Butte mines. The mineral terlinguaite was first found in the vicinity of California Hill. The population of Terlingua as of 2020 was 78.From the Wikipedia article “Terlingua, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Terlingua 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:59 AM | 90° E | 8:06 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:56 AM | 62° ENE | 8:58 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:44 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 117° ESE | 6:01 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 16m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:46 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:23 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 12m |
| September | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 17m |
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 Terlingua, 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 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 6:42 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 6:03 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 5:29 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:31 PM – 5:11 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 9:20 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:44 PM – 9:44 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (46%). June 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 | 83 | 93 | 96 | 102 | 108 | 110 | 109 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 91 | 83 |
| Low °F | 20 | 11 | 22 | 35 | 38 | 61 | 62 | 60 | 51 | 30 | 21 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Terlingua, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Terlingua?
What time is golden hour at Terlingua?
Where does the sun rise and set at Terlingua?
Can you see the Milky Way from Terlingua?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Terlingua?
How far is Terlingua from Alpine?
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.