Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites — a state park in Fayette County, Texas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) S of La Grange.
Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites are two adjacent state historic sites managed by the Texas Historical Commission. They are located at 29.888° -96.876°, just off U.S. Route 77, south of La Grange, Texas. The sites sit on a sandstone bluff 200 feet above the Colorado River. Monument Hill is a memorial to the men who died in the Dawson Massacre and in the Black Bean Episode of the ill-fated Mier Expedition. Kreische Brewery’s ruins are a relic to the golden age of Texas craft brewing and represents the contribution of German immigrants to the unique culture of the state. German immigrant, stonemason and brewer Heinrich Kreische, owned 172 ¼ acres of land on the bluff. He built his house and the brewery in the 1850s and 1860s, and operated the brewery until his death in 1882. The Kreische Brewery and house were listed in the National Register of Historic Places...From the Wikipedia article “Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites 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) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 62° ENE | 8:32 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:33 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 | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 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 Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites, 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 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 | 4:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 4:56 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 4:48 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 1:17 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 11:15 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:18 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: 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 ≈ 20.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 81 | 87 | 92 | 97 | 102 | 110 | 107 | 110 | 105 | 97 | 89 | 84 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 63 | 66 | 64 | 52 | 37 | 26 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
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 Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites, closest first.
FAQ
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Where does the sun rise and set at Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites?
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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.