Marathon Uplift — a rock formation in Brewster County, Texas — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 44 km (27 mi) ESE of Alpine.
The Marathon Uplift is a Paleogene-age domal uplift, approximately 78 miles (126 km) in diameter, in southwest Texas. The Marathon Basin was created by erosion of Cretaceous and younger strata from the crest of the uplift. Northeast trending ridges of pre-Permian Paleozoic strata in the basin were formed by the Ouachita orogeny, which also formed the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The ancient faulting that produced the Llano Uplift is believed to be related to that which produced the Marathon Uplift in west Texas. Both may have been formed around the time of the Ouachita orogeny.From the Wikipedia article “Marathon Uplift”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marathon Uplift 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) | 7:58 AM | 90° E | 8:05 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:53 AM | 62° ENE | 8:58 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:42 AM | 89° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 117° ESE | 5:58 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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 | 7:51 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:26 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:02 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:45 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:24 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Marathon Uplift, 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 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 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:41 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:54 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 5:14 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:21 PM – 11:41 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:43 PM – 9:43 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 79 | 86 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 99 | 93 | 85 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 7 | 17 | 30 | 32 | 55 | 58 | 56 | 47 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 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
- 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.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- 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 Marathon Uplift?
What time is golden hour at Marathon Uplift?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marathon Uplift?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marathon Uplift?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marathon Uplift?
How far is Marathon Uplift from Alpine?
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.