La Manga Pass — a mountain pass in Conejos County, Colorado at about 3,121 m (10,240 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Chama, about 26 km (16 mi) away (La Manga Pass lies NE of town).
La Manga Pass, elevation 10,240 ft (3,120 m), is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The pass is situated in Rio Grande National Forest. The pass, along with Cumbres Pass to the southwest, is traversed by State Highway 17. It is the only highway pass west out of the San Luis Valley between Wolf Creek Pass to the north and New Mexico. The pass is a watershed break between the Conejos River to the north, a tributary of the Rio Grande, and the Rio de los Pinos (Los Pinos River) to the south, which flows through Toltec Gorge and eventually joins the Conejos River via the Rio San Antonio.From the Wikipedia article “La Manga Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At La Manga Pass 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 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 38m |
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 La Manga Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 5:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 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 (54%). 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 | 52 | 57 | 65 | 73 | 87 | 90 | 91 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 53 |
| Low °F | -23 | -15 | -10 | 9 | 16 | 29 | 39 | 38 | 19 | 11 | -8 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Elk Creek Campground (Rio Grande Nf)5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Glade (Rio Grande National Forest, Co)10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Mogote13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Lake Fork(Rio Grande Natl Fore26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph La Manga Pass?
What time is golden hour at La Manga Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at La Manga Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from La Manga Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at La Manga Pass?
How far is La Manga Pass from Chama?
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.