Located in Menard County, Texas, Fort McKavett is a state park. The nearest town is Menard, about 33 km (20 mi) away (Fort McKavett lies WSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a former United States Army installation located in Menard County, Texas. The fort was first established in 1852 as part of a line of forts in Texas intended to protect migrants traveling to California. The fort was deemed unnecessary and abandoned in 1859 and was occupied by settlers. From 1861 to 1863, during the American Civil War, the fort became an outpost of Confederate forces on the Texas frontier until they left for other theaters of the war. When the US Army returned to Texas in the later 1860s, the fort was reoccupied and rebuilt, and was at times garrisoned by the "Buffalo Soldier", or all-African American, 24th Infantry and 9th Cavalry Regiments.From the Wikipedia article “Fort McKavett State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort McKavett 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) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:39 AM | 62° ENE | 8:47 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 117° ESE | 5:44 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 09m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 22m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 43m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 08m |
| July | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 36m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 10m |
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 Fort McKavett, 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 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 | 4:59 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 6:29 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:23 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 1:30 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:30 PM – 9:30 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: 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 ≈ 21.86 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 February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 83 | 93 | 95 | 103 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 108 | 105 | 99 | 90 | 84 |
| Low °F | 18 | 13 | 20 | 30 | 37 | 58 | 62 | 60 | 46 | 27 | 22 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort McKavett?
What time is golden hour at Fort McKavett?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort McKavett?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort McKavett?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort McKavett?
How far is Fort McKavett from Menard?
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.