Located in El Paso County, Texas, Hueco Tanks is a rock formation. It is part of Hueco Tanks State Historic Site. The nearest town is Homestead Meadows North, about 14.4 km (8.9 mi) away (Hueco Tanks lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hueco Tanks the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 62° ENE | 8:14 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 118° ESE | 5:05 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 04m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 05m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Hueco Tanks, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 4:28 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 4:12 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:49 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:44 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:44 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.31 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). July 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 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 108 | 108 | 106 | 100 | 94 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 20 | 6 | 19 | 29 | 37 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 48 | 27 | 20 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 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 rock formation
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Hueco Tanks, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hueco Tanks?
What time is golden hour at Hueco Tanks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hueco Tanks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hueco Tanks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hueco Tanks?
How far is Hueco Tanks from Homestead Meadows North?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.