Located in Comal County, Texas, Guadalupe River State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Bulverde, about 15.4 km (9.6 mi) away (Guadalupe River State Park lies NNW of town).
Guadalupe River State Park is a 1,938.7-acre (784.6 ha) state park located on a section of the Guadalupe River in Kendall and Comal Counties, Texas, United States and is administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The land was acquired by deed from private owners in 1974 and was opened to the public in 1983. 670 acres (270 ha) is located on the north side of the river and is named the Bauer Unit, after the German couple that settled there in the mid-1800s. There are no amenities or facilities in the Bauer Unit, just trails. The Bamberger Trail is named after J. David Bamberger, who sold most of the land that became the Bauer Unit to the State of Texas in 1974.From the Wikipedia article “Guadalupe River State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Guadalupe River 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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 62° ENE | 8:39 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 117° ESE | 5:40 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Guadalupe River 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 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 6:22 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 1:22 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:24 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 84 | 95 | 95 | 103 | 105 | 109 | 110 | 112 | 108 | 99 | 90 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 43 | 61 | 64 | 65 | 51 | 34 | 25 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Guadalupe River State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
CaveWaterfall
CaveCave
Cave
Cave
State Park
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cranes Mill Park20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Potters Creek Park23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- North Park29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Guadalupe River State Park?
What time is golden hour at Guadalupe River State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Guadalupe River State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Guadalupe River State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Guadalupe River State Park?
How far is Guadalupe River State Park from Bulverde?
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.