Located in Sierra County, California, Yuba Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,045 m (6,709 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Portola, about 22 km (13 mi) away (Yuba Pass lies S of town).
Yuba Pass is a mountain pass on State Route 49 in Sierra County in the U.S. state of California. The pass lies at an elevation of 6,710 ft (2,050 m) about 3.4 air miles west of Sattley, on the divide between the North Yuba River and the Middle Fork Feather River (Sierra Valley). Thus, unlike most of the well-known Sierra Nevada passes, including the much lower Beckwourth Pass on the east edge of the Sierra Valley, Yuba Pass does not lie on the Great Basin Divide. This Yuba Pass should not be confused with Yuba Gap, a minor mountain pass along Interstate 80 on the Nevada-Placer county line.From the Wikipedia article “Yuba Pass (Sierra County)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Yuba Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Yuba Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:49 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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 ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 102 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | 0 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 27 | 39 | 38 | 27 | 21 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 7.9 |
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.
- 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 Yuba Pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Waterfall
Mountain PassWaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Yuba Pass Campground225 m · reservable
- Chapman5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Sierra6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Calpine Lookout7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Salmon Creek10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Yuba Pass?
What time is golden hour at Yuba Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Yuba Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Yuba Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Yuba Pass?
How far is Yuba Pass from Portola?
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.