Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is a state park in Val Verde County, Texas. The nearest town is Cienegas Terrace, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site lies NW of town).
Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is a state park in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located off U.S. Route 90, east of the Pecos River High Bridge, 9 miles (14 km) west of Comstock in Val Verde County. The park is conducive to camping, biking, bird watching, back packing and archeological study. Cave art and archeological artifacts date back to the earliest human habitation in the area. The park is part of the larger Seminole Canyon Archeological District on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Seminole Canyon State Park and 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) | 7:50 AM | 90° E | 7:57 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:46 AM | 62° ENE | 8:49 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:34 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 117° ESE | 5:51 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:32 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:37 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:15 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Seminole Canyon State Park and 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 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 6:33 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:24 PM – 5:04 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 1:33 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 11:32 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:35 PM – 9:35 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 89 | 98 | 100 | 107 | 111 | 112 | 110 | 111 | 108 | 103 | 95 | 89 |
| Low °F | 22 | 17 | 26 | 36 | 45 | 64 | 67 | 65 | 51 | 36 | 29 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site?
How far is Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site from Cienegas Terrace?
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.