Imogene Pass is a mountain pass in Ouray County, Colorado at about 3,998 m (13,117 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Telluride, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (Imogene Pass lies E of town).
Imogene Pass is a 13,114 ft (3,997 m) high mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains in the southwest part of the US state of Colorado. It crosses a ridge connecting Ouray, Colorado with Telluride, Colorado, and is the highest mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains, and the second highest vehicular mountain crossing in Colorado. The road is accessible by four wheel drive vehicles, and is not for the novice driver. From Ouray, the road turns off the road to Yankee Boy Basin above the Camp Bird Mine near the ghost town of Sneffels southwest of Ouray, and climbs through Imogene Basin to the summit. From Telluride, the road takes off north of downtown and climbs past the ghost town of Tomboy through Savage Basin to the summit. The first long distance alternating current power line was constructed over Imogene Pass to carry power from the Telluride area to the Camp Bird Mine. "Fort...From the Wikipedia article “Imogene Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Imogene 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Imogene Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 61 | 69 | 81 | 85 | 87 | 83 | 82 | 71 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -31 | -20 | -13 | -3 | 11 | 23 | 33 | 32 | 13 | 2 | -20 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
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 Imogene Pass, closest first.
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Amphitheater (Co)12.0 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Sunshine14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- South Mineral14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Matterhorn16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Matterhorn Cabin16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Imogene Pass?
What time is golden hour at Imogene Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Imogene Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Imogene Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Imogene Pass?
How far is Imogene Pass from Telluride?
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.