Located in Hood County, Texas, Acton State Historic Site is a state park. It sits roughly 1.5 km (0.9 mi) NE of DeCordova.
Acton State Historic Site, located near Acton in Hood County, Texas, United States, is the grave site of Elizabeth Crockett (née Patton; May 22, 1788 - January 31, 1860, age 72), second wife of frontiersman and former United States Representative Davy Crockett, who married him in Tennessee in 1815. Davy Crockett died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, leaving Elizabeth widowed for the last 24 years of her life. The site also contains the graves of her son Robert and Robert's wife Matilda. The State of Texas erected a monument in 1913 at Acton Cemetery over the grave of Elizabeth Crockett with money authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1911. On January 1, 2008, Acton State Historic Site was transferred from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission. The entire site is 12 feet (3.7 m) wide by 21 feet (6.4 m) long, or 0.006 acre (23 m2), making it...From the Wikipedia article “Acton State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Acton State Historic Site 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:25 AM | 61° ENE | 8:42 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 118° ESE | 5:30 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 01m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 02m |
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 Acton State Historic Site, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 6:11 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:57 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 4:42 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 1:06 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 11:11 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:11 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.24 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (55%). August 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 | 85 | 91 | 91 | 101 | 104 | 110 | 114 | 113 | 108 | 100 | 92 | 86 |
| Low °F | 13 | 14 | 16 | 31 | 39 | 58 | 65 | 60 | 50 | 26 | 20 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. 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 40 km of Acton State Historic Site, closest first.
State Park
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bear Creek25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Mustang - Bear Creek Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Mustang26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Holiday (Texas)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Creek Park (Benbrook Lake)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Acton State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Acton State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Acton State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Acton State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Acton State Historic Site?
How far is Acton State Historic Site from DeCordova?
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.