Located in Mineral County, Colorado, Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado) is a mountain pass at about 3,035 m (9,957 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Pagosa Springs, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado) lies NE of town).
Windy Pass, elevation 9,957 ft (3,035 m), is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The pass is in the San Juan National Forest southwest of Wolf Creek Pass.From the Wikipedia article “Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 59° ENE | 8:32 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 119° ESE | 4:54 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.92 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
- 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.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado), closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- West Fork Campground4.8 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- East Fork Campground (San Juan Nf - Co)6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central Co)13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Elwood Cabin19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Platoro Cabin 230 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado)?
What time is golden hour at Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado)?
How far is Windy Pass (Mineral County, Colorado) from Pagosa Springs?
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.