Big Bend Ranch State Park is a state park in Presidio County, Texas. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) E of Presidio.
Big Bend Ranch State Park is a 311,000-acre (126,000 ha) state park managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and located on the Rio Grande in Brewster and Presidio counties, Texas, United States. It is the largest state park in Texas and offers a rugged, remote, and scenic wilderness. The state park's headquarters is located in Lajitas, Texas at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center. The park is open year-round and an admission fee is charged.From the Wikipedia article “Big Bend Ranch State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Bend Ranch State Park 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:01 AM | 90° E | 8:08 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:58 AM | 62° ENE | 9:00 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:46 AM | 89° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 117° ESE | 6:03 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:44 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:29 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:06 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:48 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:09 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:26 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:35 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Big Bend Ranch State Park, 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 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:45 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 6:07 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 5:15 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 9:24 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:47 PM – 9:47 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 82 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 107 | 111 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 97 | 90 | 83 |
| Low °F | 21 | 12 | 23 | 34 | 39 | 60 | 62 | 59 | 50 | 31 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
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 Big Bend Ranch State Park, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Bend Ranch State Park?
What time is golden hour at Big Bend Ranch State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Bend Ranch State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Bend Ranch State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Bend Ranch State Park?
How far is Big Bend Ranch State Park from Presidio?
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.