Located in Fresno County, California, Mather Pass is a mountain pass at about 3,678 m (12,067 ft) above sea level. It is part of Kings Canyon National Park. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) SW of Big Pine.
Mather Pass is a high mountain pass in the U.S. state of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. It lies within far eastern Fresno County, inside Kings Canyon National Park and the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. The pass lies at an elevation of 12,068 feet (3,678 m), separating Palisade Basin (containing the Palisade Lakes and Palisade Creek) to the north and Upper Basin (containing the headwaters of the South Fork Kings River) to the south. The pass is traversed by the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, which are coincident (sharing the same route) between Crabtree Meadows and Tuolumne Meadows. It is one of the six high mountain passes above 11,000 feet on the John Muir Trail, along with Donohue Pass, Muir Pass, Pinchot Pass, Glen Pass, and Forester Pass; it lies south of Muir Pass and north of Pinchot Pass. Split Mountain, one of California's fourteeners, lies...From the Wikipedia article “Mather Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mather Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 60° ENE | 8:18 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 119° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Mather Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 4:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:51 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Mather Pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Upper Sage Flat10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Big Pine Creek Campground10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Big Pine Canyon11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Goodale Creek Campground17.0 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Table Mountain (Inyo)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mather Pass?
What time is golden hour at Mather Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mather Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mather Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mather Pass?
How far is Mather Pass from Big Pine?
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.