Trout Creek Pass is a mountain pass in Chaffee County, Colorado at about 2,895 m (9,498 ft) above sea level. It is part of San Isabel National Forest. The nearest town is Buena Vista, about 15.5 km (9.6 mi) away (Trout Creek Pass lies ENE of town).
Trout Creek Pass, elevation 9,346 ft (2,849 m), is a mountain pass located in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado in the United States. The pass sits atop the southern end of the Mosquito Range on the Park-Chaffee county line, between South Park (the headwaters of the South Platte River to the east) and the headwaters of the Arkansas River to the west. It is traversed jointly by U.S. Highway 24 (US 24) (between Hartsel and Buena Vista) and US 285 (between Fairplay and Buena Vista). Most motorised vehicles can travel on it, and it is only ever closed during really bad winter storms. While the south side has a moderate 5% gradient, the approach from the north is gentle. The elevation stated on the highway sign at the summit (see attached picture) appears to be in error by about 140 ft (43 m), as it disagrees with well-established topographic maps as well as published data.From the Wikipedia article “Trout Creek Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trout Creek 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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Trout Creek 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 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 (59%). 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 | 56 | 57 | 70 | 74 | 87 | 91 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 78 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -8 | 10 | 16 | 28 | 41 | 38 | 21 | -1 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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 Trout Creek Pass, closest first.
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Ghost TownHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Buffalo Springs13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Bassam Guard Station18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Weston Pass23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Bootleg29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trout Creek Pass?
What time is golden hour at Trout Creek Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trout Creek Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trout Creek Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trout Creek Pass?
How far is Trout Creek 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.