Mission Pass — a mountain pass in Alameda County, California at about 202 m (663 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.0 km (4.3 mi) E of Fremont.
Mission Pass, also known as the Sunol Grade and formerly as Stockton Pass, is a gap in the hills of the Mount Hamilton Range in Alameda County, California. It lies to the northeast of Mission San José, in Fremont, and leads from there into the Sunol Valley. Its elevation is 659 feet (201 m) above sea level. Today, Interstate 680 traverses this pass.From the Wikipedia article “Mission Pass (Alameda County)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mission 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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Mission 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 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:19 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.65 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 74 | 77 | 85 | 95 | 108 | 110 | 116 | 113 | 114 | 103 | 89 | 71 |
| Low °F | 22 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 39 | 43 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 3.6 |
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 Mission Pass, closest first.
Lake
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
WaterfallCanyon
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mission Pass?
What time is golden hour at Mission Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mission Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mission Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mission Pass?
How far is Mission Pass from Fremont?
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.