Located in Kendall County, Texas, Old Tunnel State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 16.9 km (10.5 mi) NNE of Comfort.
Old Tunnel State Park is a 16.1 acres (6.5 ha) state park in Kendall County, Texas, United States. It is the smallest state park in Texas. The property is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and opened to the public in 2012. It is located halfway between Fredericksburg and Comfort, Texas, on Old San Antonio Road. The main feature of the park is the 920-foot-long railroad tunnel of the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway most of which was dug by hand through solid limestone. The railway used the tunnel until 1941 when it was dismantled so the steel rails could be used for the World War II effort. Since the shutdown of the railway, the tunnel has become a bat cave, hosting over 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and 3000 cave myotis bats. The bats emerge at sunset during May through October, and viewing is open to the public. There are two viewing areas to watch the...From the Wikipedia article “Old Tunnel State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Tunnel 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 62° ENE | 8:40 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 117° ESE | 5:40 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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 | 8:08 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Old Tunnel 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:23 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:55 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 11:22 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 9:25 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.42 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 92 | 101 | 103 | 107 | 111 | 110 | 107 | 100 | 90 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 19 | 31 | 41 | 58 | 62 | 62 | 48 | 29 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Old Tunnel State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
State Park
Waterfall
CaveWaterfall
Mountain PassFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Tunnel State Park?
What time is golden hour at Old Tunnel State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Tunnel State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Tunnel State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Tunnel State Park?
How far is Old Tunnel State Park from Comfort?
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.