Llano Estacado is a rock formation in Lynn County, Texas. The nearest town is Tahoka, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Llano Estacado lies SW of town).
The Llano Estacado (Spanish: [ˈʝano estaˈkaðo]), translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States encompassing parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North American continent, the elevation rises from 3,000 feet (900 m) in the southeast to over 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in the northwest, sloping almost uniformly at about 10 feet per mile (2 m/km).From the Wikipedia article “Llano Estacado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Llano Estacado the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:53 AM | 90° E | 8:00 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:41 AM | 61° ENE | 9:00 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:37 AM | 89° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 118° ESE | 5:46 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 58m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:08 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 59m |
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 Llano Estacado, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:29 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 1:25 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 9:19 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:38 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.8 | 17° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (47%). 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 | 82 | 89 | 94 | 105 | 107 | 115 | 113 | 112 | 105 | 99 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 10 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 35 | 52 | 58 | 55 | 46 | 22 | 17 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Llano Estacado?
What time is golden hour at Llano Estacado?
Where does the sun rise and set at Llano Estacado?
Can you see the Milky Way from Llano Estacado?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Llano Estacado?
How far is Llano Estacado from Tahoka?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.