Dragoon Pass — a mountain pass in Cochise County, Arizona at about 1,411 m (4,629 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) NE of Saint David.
Dragoon Pass is a gap between the Dragoon Mountains and Little Dragoon Mountains in Cochise County, Arizona. The pass lies at an elevation of 4,629 feet (1,411 m).From the Wikipedia article “Dragoon Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dragoon Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (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 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 62° ENE | 7:30 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:09 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 118° ESE | 5:21 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:27 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:40 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 04m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Dragoon Pass, 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 | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:55 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:08 PM – 3:28 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:05 PM – 2:05 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:34 PM – 12:04 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:10 PM – 8:00 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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 76 | 83 | 90 | 97 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 77 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 64 | 61 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Dragoon Pass, closest first.
Canyon
National Forest
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dragoon Pass?
What time is golden hour at Dragoon Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dragoon Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dragoon Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dragoon Pass?
How far is Dragoon Pass from Saint David?
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.