Amistad Reservoir is a lake in Val Verde County, Texas. It lies in or next to Amistad National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 14.4 km (8.9 mi) NW of Cienegas Terrace.
Amistad Reservoir (Spanish: Presa Amistad) is a reservoir on the Rio Grande at its confluence with the Devils River 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Del Rio, Texas. The lake is bounded by Val Verde County on the United States side of the international border and by the state of Coahuila on the Mexican side of the border; the American shoreline forms the Amistad National Recreation Area. The reservoir was formed in 1969 by the construction of Amistad Dam. The dam and lake are managed jointly by the governments of the United States and Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission. The name of the dam and lake is the Spanish word for "friendship". The reservoir is also known as Lake Amistad.From the Wikipedia article “Amistad Reservoir”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Amistad Reservoir 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) | 7:49 AM | 90° E | 7:56 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:46 AM | 62° ENE | 8:48 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 117° ESE | 5:51 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Amistad Reservoir, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 6:32 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 5:02 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:34 PM – 9:34 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.65 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 89 | 98 | 100 | 107 | 111 | 112 | 110 | 111 | 108 | 103 | 95 | 89 |
| Low °F | 22 | 17 | 26 | 36 | 45 | 64 | 67 | 65 | 51 | 36 | 29 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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 lake
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Amistad Reservoir, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- San Pedro Group Campground10.2 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- 277 North Group Campground16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Amistad Reservoir?
What time is golden hour at Amistad Reservoir?
Where does the sun rise and set at Amistad Reservoir?
Can you see the Milky Way from Amistad Reservoir?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Amistad Reservoir?
How far is Amistad Reservoir from Cienegas Terrace?
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.