Vail Pass — a mountain pass in Summit County, Colorado at about 3,236 m (10,617 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Frisco, about 11.3 km (7.0 mi) away (Vail Pass lies WSW of town).
Vail Pass is a 10,662-foot-high (3,250 m) mountain pass in the western United States, located in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. The pass was named for Charles Vail, a highway engineer and director of the state highway department from 1930 to 1945. Vail Pass lies on the boundary between Eagle and Summit counties, between Vail on the west and Copper Mountain on the east. It provides the route of Interstate 70 (and earlier U.S. Highway 6) between the upper basins of the Eagle River and the Blue River, both tributaries of the Colorado River. Black Gore Creek, a tributary of Gore Creek, in the watershed of the Eagle, descends from the north side of the pass towards the town of Vail. West Tenmile Creek, in the watershed of the Blue, descends from the south side. The pass is significantly steep on either side (7% max.), and two runaway truck ramps are available on the west...From the Wikipedia article “Vail Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Vail Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Vail 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 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 ≈ 21.49 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 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Vail Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gore Creek Campground11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Camp Hale East Fork Group13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Peak One14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Heaton Bay14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Camp Hale Memorial14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Vail Pass?
What time is golden hour at Vail Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Vail Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Vail Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Vail Pass?
How far is Vail Pass from Frisco?
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.