Nugent’s Pass — a mountain pass in Cochise County, Arizona at about 1,400 m (4,593 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Willcox, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Nugent’s Pass lies WSW of town).
Nugents Pass or Nugent's Pass is a gap at an elevation of 4,593 feet (1,400 m) in Cochise County, Arizona. The pass was named for John Nugent, who provided notes of his journey with a party of Forty-Niners across what became the Tucson Cutoff to Lt. John G. Parke, on expedition to identify a feasible railroad route from the Pima Villages to the Rio Grande.From the Wikipedia article “Nugent's Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nugent’s 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 34° 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 | 7:31 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:09 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 118° ESE | 5:20 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
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:57 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 | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:41 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 03m |
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 Nugent’s 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 – 4:15 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:55 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:10 PM – 3:30 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:06 PM – 2:06 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 ≈ 21.69 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
- 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.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Nugent’s Pass, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nugent’s Pass?
What time is golden hour at Nugent’s Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nugent’s Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nugent’s Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nugent’s Pass?
How far is Nugent’s Pass from Willcox?
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.