Hancock Pass is a mountain pass in Chaffee County, Colorado at about 3,722 m (12,211 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) SW of Buena Vista.
Hancock Pass, elevation 12,208 ft (3,721 m), is a high mountain pass on the Continental Divide in western Colorado. The pass is on the border between Chaffee and Gunnison counties and between the Gunnison and San Isabel national forests. The road over the pass is of moderate difficulty and is very rocky and slow going.From the Wikipedia article “Hancock Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hancock 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 302° (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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Hancock 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 44 | 48 | 63 | 68 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 83 | 82 | 72 | 60 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -25 | -13 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 35 | 34 | 19 | -3 | -21 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Hancock Pass, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Fork Campground (Salida, Co)4.8 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground4.9 km (3.0 mi)
- Quartz8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Iron City10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Pitkin11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hancock Pass?
What time is golden hour at Hancock Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hancock Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hancock Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hancock Pass?
How far is Hancock Pass from Buena Vista?
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.