Located in Mono County, California, Sherwin Summit is a mountain pass. The nearest town is West Bishop, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Sherwin Summit lies NW of town).
Sherwin Summit (el. 6,427 feet, 1,959 m) is a mountain pass on U.S. Highway 395. It is located east of Tom's Place and Crowley Lake in the eastern part of the Sierra Nevada range. South of the summit, the road starts on its long 2,400 foot (610 m) descent into the 4,000 ft (1,200 m) high Owens Valley. The Owens River generally follows the road from this summit through the Owens Valley. Motorists who come from the south usually cross this summit in order to go to the high-altitude towns like Mammoth Lakes to the northwest to escape the smothering summer heat in the deserts. The pass receives snowfall during the winter, although the region receives relatively little precipitation annually. The 1946 film My Pal Trigger was filmed here.From the Wikipedia article “Sherwin Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sherwin Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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 | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Sherwin Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.81 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.
- 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 Sherwin Summit, closest first.
Canyon
Canyon
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- French Camp6.2 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Tuff Campground6.2 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Group (Inyo)7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Palisades Group Campground8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- East Fork Campground – Inyo National Forest (Ca)8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sherwin Summit?
What time is golden hour at Sherwin Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sherwin Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sherwin Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sherwin Summit?
How far is Sherwin Summit from West Bishop?
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.