Bandera Pass is a mountain pass in Bandera County, Texas at about 532 m (1,745 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Medina, about 15.3 km (9.5 mi) away (Bandera Pass lies ENE of town).
Bandera Pass [elevation 1,745 feet (532 m)] is a mountain pass in Bandera County, Texas, in the United States. On the divide between watersheds of the Guadalupe and Medina Rivers, it is located on State Highway 173 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Bandera. The Battle of Bandera Pass, a part of the Texas-Indian wars, took place at the pass in 1843. (Others say this battle was in 1841.) Nearby Bandera Creek was named after Bandera Pass.From the Wikipedia article “Bandera Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bandera Pass 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) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:37 AM | 62° ENE | 8:41 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 117° ESE | 5:42 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:08 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:28 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Bandera Pass, 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 31° 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 | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 6:24 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 5:13 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:55 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:26 PM – 9:26 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.41 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 83 | 95 | 95 | 102 | 106 | 109 | 111 | 112 | 107 | 100 | 90 | 83 |
| Low °F | 20 | 17 | 22 | 34 | 42 | 60 | 64 | 64 | 52 | 33 | 26 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
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 mountain pass
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bandera Pass?
What time is golden hour at Bandera Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bandera Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bandera Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bandera Pass?
How far is Bandera Pass from Medina?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.