Located in Llano County, Texas, Packsaddle Mountain is a mountain peak at about 476 m (1,562 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.7 km (4.8 mi) WSW of Kingsland.
Named after the saddle-like appearance provided by twin peaks, Packsaddle Mountain is a landmark hill that stands five miles southwest of Kingsland, Texas in eastern Llano County on State Highway 71 and is of interest to both historians and geologists. In 1873 it was the site of the Battle of Packsaddle Mountain, the last major Native American battle in the area. The mountain is now part of a large ranch called Packsaddle Ranch.From the Wikipedia article “Packsaddle Mountain (Llano County, Texas)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Packsaddle Mountain 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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 62° ENE | 8:40 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 117° ESE | 5:38 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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 11m |
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 Packsaddle Mountain, 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 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:23 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:16 PM – 4:46 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 11:22 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:24 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.2 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 85 | 92 | 92 | 101 | 103 | 107 | 111 | 110 | 107 | 100 | 90 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 19 | 31 | 41 | 58 | 62 | 62 | 48 | 29 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
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 peak
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Packsaddle Mountain, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Cave
Natural Arch
Lake
Lake
State Park
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Packsaddle Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Packsaddle Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Packsaddle Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Packsaddle Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Packsaddle Mountain?
How far is Packsaddle Mountain from Kingsland?
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.