Fort Davis National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Texas. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Fort Davis 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.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:54 AM | 8:30 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 246° | 10h 23m |
| February | 7:37 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:44 PM | 256° | 11h 07m |
| March | 8:06 AM | 8:38 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 268° | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 282° | 12h 55m |
| May | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 293° | 13h 42m |
| June | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 298° | 14h 07m |
| July | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 296° | 13h 56m |
| August | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:39 PM | 287° | 13h 16m |
| September | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 274° | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:59 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:26 PM | 261° | 11h 27m |
| November | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 249° | 10h 37m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 243° | 10h 11m |
Computed for the park's reference point (30.5993, -103.8962); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Fort Davis, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 6:16 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:45 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 2:28 AM – 5:58 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 12:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 10:38 PM – 5:08 AM | 6.5 | 31° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 10:06 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 9:24 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:46 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Summer Temperatures average a High of 95 and low of 65. Winter Temperatures average a High of 60 and a low of 20. Wind is very common and heavy rainfall is very sporadic.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (43%). 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. 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.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Per Person | $10.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $15.00 |
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $20.00 |
| Commercial Entrance - Sedan | $20.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
We are approximately 2.5 hours south of Midland/Odessa starting on I-20 to HWY 17, 3.5 hours North West of Del Rio starting on HWY 90 to HWY 118, 4 hours east of El Paso starting on I-10 to HWY 118 and 7 hours west of San Antonio starting on I-10 to HWY 17.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Craft Demonstrations
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Living History
- Historic Weapons Demonstration
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
- Gift Shop and Souvenirs
Nearby parks
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NM