Hatcher Pass — a mountain pass in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska at about 1,153 m (3,783 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 4.8 km (3.0 mi) NW of Fishhook.
Hatcher Pass (3,886 ft or 1,148 m) is a mountain pass through the southwest part of the Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska. It is named after Robert Hatcher, a prospector and miner. The nearest cities are Palmer and Wasilla approximately 12 miles (19 km) to the south, and Willow approximately 26 mi (42 km) to the west. The communities are at an elevation of approximately 250 ft (76 m) in the Mat-Su valley.From the Wikipedia article “Hatcher Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hatcher Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 30° (NNE) at the June solstice and 145° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 330° (NNW) in June to 216° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:59 AM | 89° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:11 AM | 30° NNE | 11:49 PM | 330° NNW | 52° | 19h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:42 AM | 88° E | 7:59 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:19 AM | 145° SE | 3:33 PM | 216° SW | 5° | 5h 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
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:02 AM | 10:00 AM | 11:58 AM | 2:17 PM | 4:14 PM | 5:12 PM | 6h 14m |
| February | 7:56 AM | 8:43 AM | 9:52 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:29 PM | 8h 59m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:14 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:11 PM | 14h 46m |
| May | 3:52 AM | 5:06 AM | 6:19 AM | 9:30 PM | 10:43 PM | 11:57 PM | 17h 37m |
| June | — | 4:12 AM | 5:42 AM | 10:15 PM | 11:46 PM | — | 19h 34m |
| July | 3:00 AM | 4:44 AM | 6:05 AM | 10:03 PM | 11:24 PM | 1:08 AM | 18h 40m |
| August | 5:08 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:57 PM | 10:01 PM | 10:57 PM | 15h 57m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 12h 58m |
| October | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:45 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:30 PM | 10h 04m |
| November | 8:15 AM | 9:08 AM | 10:39 AM | 2:46 PM | 4:17 PM | 5:11 PM | 7h 09m |
| December | 9:10 AM | 10:14 AM | — | — | 3:33 PM | 4:37 PM | 5h 19m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.06 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 63% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 40 | 40 | 52 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 67 | 56 | 43 | 39 |
| Low °F | -25 | -20 | -21 | -1 | 15 | 33 | 39 | 35 | 19 | -1 | -18 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
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 mountain pass
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Hatcher Pass, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
LakeWaterfall
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hatcher Pass?
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Where does the sun rise and set at Hatcher Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hatcher Pass?
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How far is Hatcher Pass from Fishhook?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.