Located in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, Mentasta Pass is a mountain pass at about 714 m (2,343 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 58 km (36 mi) SW of Tok.
Mentasta Pass is a major mountain pass in Alaska, separating the Alaska Range on the west from the Mentasta Mountains on the east. Alaska Route 1 (the Glenn Highway) runs through the pass, connecting the Copper River Valley with the Alaska Highway. Mentasta Pass is notable as the key col between Mount Logan (highpoint of Canada and the Saint Elias Mountains) and Denali (highpoint of the United States and the Alaska Range). Because of its relatively low elevation, Mount Logan's prominence is the 6th highest in the world, despite being relatively close to Denali.From the Wikipedia article “Mentasta Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mentasta Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 26° (NNE) at the June solstice and 148° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 335° (NNW) in June to 212° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 51° in summer but only 4° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:29 AM | 26° NNE | 11:45 PM | 335° NNW | 51° | 20h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 88° E | 7:37 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:11 AM | 148° SSE | 2:56 PM | 212° SSW | 4° | 4h 45m |
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 | 8:47 AM | 9:49 AM | 12:40 PM | 12:49 PM | 3:41 PM | 4:43 PM | 5h 52m |
| February | 7:36 AM | 8:25 AM | 9:39 AM | 4:01 PM | 5:14 PM | 6:03 PM | 8h 49m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:54 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 5:16 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:00 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:55 PM | 14h 55m |
| May | 3:08 AM | 4:33 AM | 5:51 AM | 9:13 PM | 10:31 PM | 11:56 PM | 17h 58m |
| June | — | 3:31 AM | 5:11 AM | 10:02 PM | 11:42 PM | — | 20h 11m |
| July | — | 4:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 9:47 PM | 11:15 PM | — | 19h 08m |
| August | 4:35 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:45 PM | 16h 10m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:01 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 01m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:29 AM | 5:14 PM | 6:20 PM | 7:07 PM | 9h 58m |
| November | 7:58 AM | 8:54 AM | 10:36 AM | 2:05 PM | 3:46 PM | 4:42 PM | 6h 52m |
| December | 8:56 AM | 10:06 AM | — | — | 2:56 PM | 4:06 PM | 4h 50m |
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 | — | -8° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 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 58% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 33 | 35 | 43 | 49 | 69 | 76 | 73 | 73 | 60 | 53 | 32 | 33 |
| Low °F | -43 | -37 | -46 | -19 | 4 | 21 | 31 | 22 | 9 | -17 | -34 | -37 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 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 mountain pass
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mentasta Pass?
What time is golden hour at Mentasta Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mentasta Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mentasta Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mentasta Pass?
How far is Mentasta Pass from Tok?
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.