Located in Tulare County, California, Timber Gap is a mountain pass at about 2,899 m (9,511 ft) above sea level. It is part of Sequoia National Park. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) E of Three Rivers.
Timber Gap is a 9,512 foot (2,899 m) mountain pass in the Mineral King valley in California's Sequoia National Park. It is one of the primary routes by which backpackers enter and exit the valley.From the Wikipedia article “Timber Gap (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Timber Gap 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 60° ENE | 8:17 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 4:24 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Timber Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:42 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:05 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:15 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: 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 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 Timber Gap, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cold Springs Campground (Ca)2.1 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Atwell Mill Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Buckeye Flat Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Potwisha Campground18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Timber Gap?
What time is golden hour at Timber Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Timber Gap?
Can you see the Milky Way from Timber Gap?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Timber Gap?
How far is Timber Gap from Three Rivers?
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.