Landmark Inn State Historic Site — a state park in Medina County, Texas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Landmark Inn State Historic Site is a historic inn in Castroville, Texas, United States. It serves the general public as both a state historic site and inn eight overnight rooms. Cesar and Hannah Monod, Swiss immigrants, arrived in Indianola, Texas in the 1830s and settled in Castroville, Texas above a busy crossing on the Medina River in 1849. They constructed a one-story limestone building used as a residence and a general store. They also built a detached commercial kitchen that was the working and living space for their enslaved woman and enslaved infant. In 1850, he bought the adjacent lot with a small house built by immigrants Michel and Rosine Simon in 1847.From the Wikipedia article “Landmark Inn State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Landmark Inn State Historic Site 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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:37 AM | 62° ENE | 8:39 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 117° ESE | 5:42 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 16m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 17m |
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 Landmark Inn State Historic Site, 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 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:23 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 5:10 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 9:25 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: 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 ≈ 20.29 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Landmark Inn State Historic Site, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
State Park
Lake
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Landmark Inn State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Landmark Inn State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Landmark Inn State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Landmark Inn State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Landmark Inn State Historic Site?
How far is Landmark Inn State Historic Site from Castroville?
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.