Colorado Bend State Park — a state park in San Saba County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) SE of San Saba.
Colorado Bend State Park is a 5,328.3-acre (2,156 ha) state park on the Colorado River mostly in San Saba County, Texas, United States. The smaller part in Lampasas County has no public access. The State of Texas purchased the land in 1984, and the park opened to the public in 1987. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department manages the park.From the Wikipedia article “Colorado Bend State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colorado Bend 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 82° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 62° ENE | 8:41 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 117° ESE | 5:37 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 08m |
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 | 8:09 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 21m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 44m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 09m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 58m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 35m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 09m |
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 Colorado Bend State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:23 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:48 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 1:25 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:24 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 92 | 91 | 103 | 105 | 108 | 112 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 92 | 83 |
| Low °F | 16 | 13 | 17 | 29 | 38 | 58 | 63 | 61 | 49 | 26 | 22 | 17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
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
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Colorado Bend State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Ghost Town
Lake
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colorado Bend State Park?
What time is golden hour at Colorado Bend State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colorado Bend State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colorado Bend State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colorado Bend State Park?
How far is Colorado Bend State Park from San Saba?
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.