Located in Alpine County, California, Ebbetts Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,669 m (8,757 ft) above sea level. It is part of Stanislaus National Forest. The nearest town is Topaz Ranch Estates, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Ebbetts Pass lies SW of town).
Ebbetts Pass (el. 8,736 ft or 2,663 m), named after John Ebbetts, is a high mountain pass through the Sierra Nevada range in Alpine County, California. Ebbetts is the eastern of two passes in the area traversed by State Route 4. The western pass is the Pacific Grade Summit (el 8,050 ft or 2,450 m). The pass is registered as a California Historical Landmark. The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650-mile (4,260 km) long National Scenic Trail crosses State Route 4 at Ebbetts Pass.From the Wikipedia article “Ebbetts Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ebbetts 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 240° (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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Ebbetts Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:10 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ebbetts Pass, closest first.
Natural Arch
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Canyon
Hot Spring
State ParkWaterfall
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Creek5.4 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Mosquito Lakes Campground9.4 km (5.9 mi)
- Centerville Flat Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi)
- Sand Flat Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi)
- Sand Flat Campground (4Wd Only)15.8 km (9.8 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ebbetts Pass?
What time is golden hour at Ebbetts Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ebbetts Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ebbetts Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ebbetts Pass?
How far is Ebbetts Pass from Topaz Ranch Estates?
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.