San Marcos Pass is a mountain pass in Santa Barbara County, California at about 676 m (2,218 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 8.4 km (5.2 mi) N of Goleta.
San Marcos Pass (Chumash: Mistaxiwax) is a mountain pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains in southern California. It is traversed by State Route 154. The pass crosses the Santa Ynez through a southwestern portion of Los Padres National Forest, and connects Los Olivos (and the Santa Ynez Valley) with Santa Barbara, California along the Pacific coast. The road has been designated as a daylight-headlight highway by the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans because of frequent accidents, particularly around the exit for Lake Cachuma.From the Wikipedia article “San Marcos Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At San Marcos Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 61° ENE | 8:16 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 118° ESE | 4:53 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 52m |
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 San Marcos Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:53 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:00 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:30 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.3 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 93 | 99 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 43 | 48 | 50 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
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.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of San Marcos Pass, closest first.
Cave
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Hot SpringNatural Arch
Beach
Botanical Garden
Beach
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fremont Campground3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Paradise Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Los Prietos3.6 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Sage Hill4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Upper Oso Campground8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph San Marcos Pass?
What time is golden hour at San Marcos Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at San Marcos Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from San Marcos Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at San Marcos Pass?
How far is San Marcos Pass from Goleta?
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.