Donohue Pass — a mountain pass in Mono County, California at about 3,373 m (11,066 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Ansel Adams Wilderness. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) WNW of Mammoth Lakes.
Donohue Pass is a high mountain pass on the boundary between Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Its elevation is 11,066 feet (3,373 m). It is situated between Mount Lyell and Donohue Peak. The John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail both transverse the pass. Following the John Muir Trail, the pass is 6.3 miles (10.1 km) from Thousand Island Lake, and 12.8 miles (20.6 km) from Tuolumne Meadows. Donohue Pass is the sixth highest pass of the ten named passes on the John Muir Trail. The pass and Donohue Peak were named in 1895 for Sergeant Donohue, Troop K, 4th Cavalry who made the first ascent of the peak.From the Wikipedia article “Donohue Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Donohue Pass 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 76° in summer but only 29° 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) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Donohue Pass, 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 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:05 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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Donohue Pass, closest first.
Glacier
Mountain Peak
GlacierMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Lake
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Gull Lake Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Reversed Creek Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- June Lake15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Tuolumne Meadows Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Donohue Pass?
What time is golden hour at Donohue Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Donohue Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Donohue Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Donohue Pass?
How far is Donohue Pass from Mammoth Lakes?
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.