Beale's Cut is a mountain pass in Los Angeles County, California. It sits roughly 6.1 km (3.8 mi) SSE of Santa Clarita.
Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass (also known as the Fremont Pass, San Fernando Pass, and the Newhall Cut) is a stagecoach pass built in 1859 in what is now Santa Clarita, California. The Pass was designated a California Historical Landmark (No. 1006) on May 11, 1992. The cut provided a route in the pass between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Santa Susana Mountains. It is near the current interchange of the Interstate 5 and California State Route 14. The steep pass was made easier to cross with a deep slot-like road cut by Charles H. Brindley, Andrés Pico, and James R. Vineyard, to whom the State of California awarded a twenty-year contract to maintain the turnpike and collect tolls. Thus, the "San Fernando Mountain", the most daunting obstacle along the Fort Tejon Road, the main inland route from Los Angeles to the north, was cut through. Butterfield Overland Mail, a stagecoach that...From the Wikipedia article “Beale's Cut Stagecoach Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beale's Cut 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:10 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Beale's Cut, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:53 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:14 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:27 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.46 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Beale's Cut, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
State Park
Canyon
Ghost Town
Canyon
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beale's Cut?
What time is golden hour at Beale's Cut?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beale's Cut?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beale's Cut?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beale's Cut?
How far is Beale's Cut from Santa Clarita?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.