Located in Taylor County, Texas, Butman Falls is a waterfall at about 705 m (2,313 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Merkel, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Butman Falls lies SSW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Butman Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 61° ENE | 8:51 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:40 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 02m |
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
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 03m |
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 Butman Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:30 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:25 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:30 PM – 9:20 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 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 (48%). July 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 | 82 | 88 | 95 | 106 | 110 | 112 | 112 | 110 | 105 | 99 | 90 | 80 |
| Low °F | 15 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 36 | 57 | 61 | 61 | 46 | 22 | 18 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
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 waterfall
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- A 3-stop ND filter lets you use slow shutter speeds even when the light is bright.
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Butman Falls, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Butman Falls?
What time is golden hour at Butman Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Butman Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Butman Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Butman Falls?
How far is Butman Falls from Merkel?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.