Monitor Pass — a mountain pass in Alpine County, California at about 2,533 m (8,310 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Topaz Ranch Estates, about 12.3 km (7.6 mi) away (Monitor Pass lies WSW of town).
Monitor Pass (el. 8,314 ft / 2,534 m) is a high mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada southeast of Lake Tahoe. It is traversed by State Route 89 near that highway's southern terminus at U.S. Route 395 near the community of Topaz. While this section of Route 89 serves to connect the basins of the West Walker River and Carson River, Monitor Pass itself lies on a side ridge between tributaries of the East Fork Carson River. Crossing the pass allows for a more direct route between U.S. 395 and Markleeville, California, at the expense of some additional elevation. Monitor Pass is part of the route taken by Jedediah Smith in late spring of 1827 when leaving California at the end of his first exploratory journey, the first crossing ever of the Sierra Nevada by a non-native. Smith first came down from Ebbetts Pass, then continued from Monitor Pass past Topaz Lake into Nevada.From the Wikipedia article “Monitor Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monitor 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 302° (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) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:27 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Monitor 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 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:34 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 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.3 | 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 ≈ 21.63 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
- 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 Monitor Pass, closest first.
Lake
Hot Spring
Canyon
State ParkHot Spring
National Forest
Waterfall
Mountain PassWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Centerville Flat Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi)
- Markleeville13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Indian Creek Campground (Ca)16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Silver Creek17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Crystal Springs22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Monitor Pass?
What time is golden hour at Monitor Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Monitor Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Monitor Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Monitor Pass?
How far is Monitor 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.