Located in Saguache County, Colorado, Marshall Pass is a mountain pass at about 3,317 m (10,883 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Salida, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Marshall Pass lies SW of town).
Marshall Pass, elevation 10,842 ft (3,305 m), is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central-southern Colorado, US. It lies in northern Saguache County on the Continental Divide between the Sawatch Range to the north and the Cochetopa Hills to the south. The pass is part of a backcountry alternative to U.S. Highway 50 between Salida and Gunnison. Marshall Pass was discovered by and named for Lt. William L. Marshall, of the Wheeler Survey, in 1873.From the Wikipedia article “Marshall Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marshall 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 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Marshall 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Marshall Pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ohaver Lake9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Brewery Creek Guard Station13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Monarch Park15.4 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Snowblind21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Angel Of Shavano Group21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marshall Pass?
What time is golden hour at Marshall Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marshall Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marshall Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marshall Pass?
How far is Marshall Pass from Salida?
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.