Conway Summit — a mountain pass in Mono County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Conway Summit lies NE of town).
Conway Summit (el. 8,143 feet (2,482 m)) is a mountain pass in Mono County, California. It is traversed by U.S. Highway 395, which connects Bridgeport and the East Walker River on the north side of the pass to Mono Lake and Lee Vining to the south. It marks the highest point on U.S. 395, which also traverses high passes at Deadman Summit and Devil's Gate Pass. Conway Summit is named after John Andrew Conway, a settler in the area in 1880. Geographically, it was formed from an upland plateau by the sinking of the land in the Mono basin area. The Sawtooth Ridge of the eastern Sierra Nevada, topped by 12,279-foot (3,743 m) Matterhorn Peak, rises to the west of the pass; Green Creek and Virginia Lakes, in the Sierra Nevada to the west of the pass, are two local destinations for fishing, camping and aspen trees. The Bodie Hills and the infamous Bodie ghost town lie to the east.From the Wikipedia article “Conway Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Conway Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:24 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Conway Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 98 | 93 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | -6 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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 Conway Summit, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Mountain PeakHot Spring
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lower Virginia Creek Primitive Campground4.5 km (2.8 mi)
- Trumbull Lake7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Green Creek Group8.6 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Crags Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Saddlebag Lake Trailhead Group Camp15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Conway Summit?
What time is golden hour at Conway Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Conway Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Conway Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Conway Summit?
How far is Conway Summit from Yosemite Valley?
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.