Located in Tehama County, California, Morgan Summit is a mountain pass. It lies in or next to Lassen Volcanic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Chester, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Morgan Summit lies WNW of town).
Morgan Summit is a mountain pass on a road shared by Highway 89 and Highway 36 in Tehama County, California. The pass is located in between the town of Mineral and Childs Meadow south of Lassen Peak and Lassen Volcanic National Park. The stated elevation of the pass varies between 5,753 ft (1,754 m) and 5,768 ft (1,758 m). The pass is high enough to receive snowfall during the winter.From the Wikipedia article “Morgan Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Morgan Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 121° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Morgan Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 14% 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 | 59 | 64 | 65 | 74 | 88 | 94 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | -1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 21 | -2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 7.1 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Morgan Summit, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
WaterfallWaterfall
Volcano
Hot Spring
Hot SpringHot Spring
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hole-In-The-Ground Campground6.4 km (4.0 mi)
- Battle Creek Campground8.1 km (5.0 mi)
- Southwest Campground - Winter/Spring8.1 km (5.0 mi)
- Gurnsey Creek11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Warner Valley Campground14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Morgan Summit?
What time is golden hour at Morgan Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Morgan Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Morgan Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Morgan Summit?
How far is Morgan Summit from Chester?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.