Pacheco Pass — a mountain pass in Santa Clara County, California at about 413 m (1,355 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) NE of Hollister.
Pacheco Pass, elevation 1,368 ft (417 m), is a low mountain pass located in the Diablo Range in southeastern Santa Clara County, California. It is the main route through the hills separating the Santa Clara Valley and the Central Valley. As with most passes in the California Coast Ranges, it is not very high when compared to those in other mountain areas within the state. The road that traverses Pacheco Pass is State Route 152, which runs for 106 miles (171 km) between SR 1 in Watsonville and SR 99. Pacheco Pass Road, the western section between Gilroy and the pass itself (a distance of approximately 14 miles), is a two-lane highway from Gilroy to the junction with SR 156 and a four-lane highway over the pass; it has been the site of many accidents.From the Wikipedia article “Pacheco Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pacheco 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 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 119° ESE | 4:52 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 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 | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 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 Pacheco 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:19 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:26 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.9 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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Pacheco Pass, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pacheco Pass?
What time is golden hour at Pacheco Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pacheco Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pacheco Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pacheco Pass?
How far is Pacheco Pass from Hollister?
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.