Sawmill Pass — a mountain pass in Inyo County, California at about 3,447 m (11,309 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Kings Canyon National Park. The nearest town is Big Pine, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Sawmill Pass lies SSW of town).
Sawmill Pass, 11,309 ft (3,447 m), is a mountain pass in the southern Sierra Nevada, California on the border of the Inyo National Forest (John Muir Wilderness) to the east and Kings Canyon National Park to the west. The eastern approach via the Sawmill Pass Trail is steep and strenuous, climbing 6,700 ft (2,000 m) from the Owens Valley floor. To the west, it connects to the John Muir Trail/Pacific Crest Trail in the Sierra high country, along Woods Creek.From the Wikipedia article “Sawmill Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sawmill 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 60° ENE | 8:17 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 119° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Sawmill 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 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 | 4:51 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:14 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: 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 ≈ 21.82 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 February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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 Sawmill Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallMountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Onion Valley12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Goodale Creek Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Grays Meadows14.1 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Big Pine Creek Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Upper Sage Flat28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sawmill Pass?
What time is golden hour at Sawmill Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sawmill Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sawmill Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sawmill Pass?
How far is Sawmill Pass from Big Pine?
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.