Located in Gunnison County, Colorado, McClure Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,680 m (8,793 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Carbondale, about 31 km (19 mi) away (McClure Pass lies SSW of town).
McClure Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of western Colorado in the United States. It is located along the boundary between Pitkin and Gunnison counties, in a gap at the western side of the Elk Mountains. The pass is at an elevation of 8,755 feet (2,669 m)) and separates the headwaters of the Crystal River (a tributary of the Roaring Fork River) to the east with the headwaters of the North Fork Gunnison River to the west. The pass is named in honor of Thomas "Mack" McClure who in the late 19th Century owned a large house at the eastern base of the pass. The house served as a stage stop where McClure fed and lodged travelers. The pass is traversed by State Highway 133 between Carbondale and Paonia, providing the direct route between the Roaring Fork Valley and the North Fork Valley. The pass is not especially high and is generally open year-round, closed only during...From the Wikipedia article “McClure Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McClure 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:39 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 26m |
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 McClure Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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 ≈ 21.81 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 September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 65 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 90 | 89 | 76 | 64 | 48 |
| Low °F | -25 | -22 | -8 | 7 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 5 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
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 McClure Pass, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Hot Spring
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bogan Flats Campground And Group3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Redstone8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Erickson Springs19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Thompson Creek Campground22 km (13 mi)
- Gothic29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph McClure Pass?
What time is golden hour at McClure Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at McClure Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from McClure Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McClure Pass?
How far is McClure Pass from Carbondale?
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.