Henness Pass — a mountain pass in Sierra County, California at about 2,108 m (6,916 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Truckee, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Henness Pass lies NW of town).
Henness Pass, at an elevation of 6,916 ft (2,108 m), is a mountain pass located northwest of Reno on the crest of the Sierra Nevada range in Sierra County, California. The pass is traversed by Henness Pass Road, a mostly unpaved road not generally passable by automobiles in winter. Portions of the road are recommended for high clearance vehicles only. Like most of the well-known Sierra Nevada passes, it lies on the Great Basin Divide. Here, the Middle Yuba River flows west to the Pacific Ocean, and the Little Truckee River flows east into the Great Basin. Historically, Henness Pass Road was a travel route used by Native Americans and then immigrants and local mining communities during the Gold Rush era. Beginning in the late 1850s, the road was a major supply route for the silver and gold mines in Nevada. Freight was brought by steamboat from San Francisco up the Sacramento River to...From the Wikipedia article “Henness Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Henness Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Henness Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:49 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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 ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 102 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | 0 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 27 | 39 | 38 | 27 | 21 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 7.9 |
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 Henness Pass, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Forest
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Little Lasier Meadows Campground6.7 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- East Meadow Campground8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Pass Creek Campground8.1 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Woodcamp Campground9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Fir Top Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Henness Pass?
What time is golden hour at Henness Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Henness Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Henness Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Henness Pass?
How far is Henness Pass from Truckee?
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.