Located in San Diego County, California, Teofulio Summit is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Julian, about 14.0 km (8.7 mi) away (Teofulio Summit lies N of town).
Teofulio Summit, formerly Warner Pass, a pass that lies at an elevation of 3681 feet in the San Felipe Hills of the Peninsular Ranges of San Diego County, California. This pass was named for Teofulio Helm (1874-1967), a prominent member of the Cupeno Band of Mission Indians, who homesteaded in the area. Teofulio Summit is the lowest crossing of the Peninsular Ranges between San Gorgonio Pass, fifty miles north in Riverside County, and San Matias Pass, two hundred miles south in the Baja California Peninsula. Teofulio Summit, is a watershed divide between the eastern watershed that flows into the Salton Sink and the west-flowing streams of the Pacific Ocean watershed.From the Wikipedia article “Teofulio Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Teofulio Summit 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 61° ENE | 7:59 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:47 AM | 118° ESE | 4:44 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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 | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 58m |
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 Teofulio Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (41%). 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 | 84 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 109 | 117 | 118 | 115 | 115 | 104 | 92 | 82 |
| Low °F | 26 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Teofulio Summit, closest first.
Hot Spring
WaterfallWaterfall
Dark Sky Place
National Forest
Dark Sky Place
Scenic Viewpoint
CanyonWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Flats Campground16.8 km (10.5 mi)
- Oak Grove Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Crestline Group Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Observatory Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Teofulio Summit?
What time is golden hour at Teofulio Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Teofulio Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Teofulio Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Teofulio Summit?
How far is Teofulio Summit from Julian?
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.