Cahuenga Pass — a mountain pass in Los Angeles County, California at about 227 m (745 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) SSE of Universal City.
The Cahuenga Pass ( , ; Tongva: Kawé’nga), also known by its Spanish name Paseo de Cahuenga, is a low mountain pass through the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Hollywood Hills district of the City of Los Angeles, California. It has an elevation of 745 ft (227 m). The Cahuenga Pass connects the Los Angeles Basin to the San Fernando Valley via U.S. Route 101 (Hollywood Freeway) and Cahuenga Boulevard. It is the lowest pass through the mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Cahuenga Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cahuenga Pass 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 299° (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 | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:09 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:56 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Cahuenga Pass, 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 9 (inner-city sky), 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 | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:23 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.83 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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Cahuenga Pass, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Cave
Canyon
Canyon
Botanical Garden
State Park
CanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cahuenga Pass?
What time is golden hour at Cahuenga Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cahuenga Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cahuenga Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cahuenga Pass?
How far is Cahuenga Pass from Universal City?
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.