Solitario — a mountain peak in Presidio County, Texas at about 1,408 m (4,619 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Big Bend Ranch State Park. The nearest town is Presidio, about 56 km (35 mi) away (Solitario lies ESE of town).
The Solitario (El Solitario) is a large geologic formation in Big Bend Ranch State Park in West Texas. When viewed from above, it suggests an impact crater; though it is actually the eroded remains of a laccolith. The approximate center of the Solitario is located 56.8 km (35.3 mi) east southeast of Presidio, Texas, just west of the line dividing Brewster and Presidio Counties. The formation covers a circular area of approximately 135 km2 (52 sq mi). The geology of the Solitario is complex. In 1988, the state of Texas purchased the property containing the Solitario and created Big Bend Ranch State Park. The formation lies in the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion of the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Solitario”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Solitario 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) | 8:00 AM | 90° E | 8:07 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:57 AM | 62° ENE | 8:59 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:44 AM | 89° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 117° ESE | 6:02 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
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 | 7:26 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:47 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:24 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 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 Solitario, 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 | 5:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 6:43 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 6:05 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:33 PM – 5:13 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 1:52 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:45 PM – 9:45 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 mountain peak
- 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.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Solitario, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Solitario?
What time is golden hour at Solitario?
Where does the sun rise and set at Solitario?
Can you see the Milky Way from Solitario?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Solitario?
How far is Solitario from Presidio?
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.