Sonora Pass — a mountain pass in Mono County, California at about 2,929 m (9,610 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Stanislaus National Forest. The nearest town is Topaz Ranch Estates, about 47 km (29 mi) away (Sonora Pass lies SSW of town).
Sonora Pass (el. 9,624 ft. / 2,933 m.) is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada in California. It is the second-highest pass with a road in California and in the Sierra Nevada. It is 321 feet (98 m) lower than Tioga Pass to the south. State Route 108 traverses the pass, as does the Pacific Crest Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Sonora Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sonora Pass 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 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:26 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Sonora Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 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 March as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 98 | 93 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | -6 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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
- 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 Sonora Pass, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Leavitt Meadows7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Deadman Campground9.9 km (6.2 mi)
- Baker Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi)
- Eureka Valley Campground12.7 km (7.9 mi)
- Sonora Bridge14.1 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sonora Pass?
What time is golden hour at Sonora Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sonora Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sonora Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sonora Pass?
How far is Sonora Pass from Topaz Ranch Estates?
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.