Piute Pass is a mountain pass in Fresno County, California at about 3,480 m (11,417 ft) above sea level. It is part of John Muir Wilderness. The nearest town is West Bishop, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Piute Pass lies WSW of town).
Piute Pass is a 11,417 feet (3,480 m) mountain pass along the crest of the Sierra Nevada, between Inyo and Fresno Counties in the John Muir Wilderness area of California. The pass is traversed by the Piute Pass Trail, linking the John Muir Trail to the west with North Lake to the east. Native Americans used Piute Pass for trade across the Sierra for millennia. In the 1920s, various local and business groups lobbied for a highway to be constructed over the pass, envisioning it as a scenic route through areas that was compared to the Swiss Alps, and boosting the economies of both counties. The highway proposal died away by the 1930s as the Forest Service and the Sierra Club fought to protect the wilderness areas along that portion of the Sierra. Eventually, the Wilderness Act of 1964 established the John Muir Wilderness, and what is now State Route 168 remains unbuilt between...From the Wikipedia article “Piute Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Piute Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:19 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 119° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Piute Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 4:01 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 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 ≈ 21.78 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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Piute Pass, closest first.
Lake
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bishop Park Campground (Ca)8.0 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Bishop Park Group8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Forks Campground (Inyo)9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Table Mountain (Inyo)10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Four Jeffrey11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Piute Pass?
What time is golden hour at Piute Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Piute Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Piute Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Piute Pass?
How far is Piute Pass from West Bishop?
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.