Gore Pass — a mountain pass in Grand County, Colorado at about 2,907 m (9,537 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 14.8 km (9.2 mi) W of Kremmling.
Gore Pass (elevation 9,524 feet (2,903 meters)) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Colorado in the United States. The pass crosses a gap in the northern end of the Gore Range in southwestern Grand County, west of Kremmling. The pass is traversed by State Highway 134 east of Toponas, connecting Middle Park with the Yampa River valley. It has a mild approach to the west, while the east side has a moderate 5.4% grade.From the Wikipedia article “Gore Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gore Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 20m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Gore Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 37 | 34 | 60 | 67 | 81 | 87 | 88 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 58 | 45 |
| Low °F | -26 | -40 | -21 | -14 | 1 | 22 | 33 | 31 | 20 | -5 | -22 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
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 Gore Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pumphouse Recreation Area10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Lynx Pass Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi)
- Radium Recreation Area13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Willows Campground (Co)30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gore Pass?
What time is golden hour at Gore Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gore Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gore Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gore Pass?
How far is Gore Pass from Kremmling?
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.