Wolf Creek Pass — a mountain pass in Mineral County, Colorado at about 3,299 m (10,823 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Pagosa Springs, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Wolf Creek Pass lies NE of town).
Wolf Creek Pass is a high mountain pass on the Continental Divide, in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. It is the route through which U.S. Highway 160 passes from the San Luis Valley into southwest Colorado on its way to New Mexico and Arizona. The pass is notable as inspiration of a C. W. McCall song. The pass is significantly steep on either side (6.8% maximum grade) and can be dangerous in winter. There are two runaway truck ramps on the westbound side for truckers that lose control of their brakes.From the Wikipedia article “Wolf Creek Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wolf 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 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 | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 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 | 120° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:57 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 10m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:56 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 | 7:24 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 | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 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 Wolf Creek Pass, 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Wolf Creek Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central Co)6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- East Fork Campground (San Juan Nf - Co)14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Elwood Cabin17.0 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Alder Guard Station28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wolf Creek Pass?
What time is golden hour at Wolf Creek Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wolf Creek Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wolf Creek Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wolf Creek Pass?
How far is Wolf Creek Pass 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.