Located in Boise County, Idaho, Banner Creek Summit is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Boise, about 110 km (68 mi) away (Banner Creek Summit lies NE of town).
Banner Creek Summit is a mountain pass in the western United States in central Idaho, at an elevation of 7,037 feet (2,145 m) above sea level. Traversed by State Highway 21, the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, it is located on the border of Custer County and Boise County, also the border of the Challis and Boise National Forests, immediately northwest of the Sawtooth Range. Banner Creek Summit also marks the divide between the Salmon River and Payette River drainage areas. The highway follows Banner Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, on the north side of the summit, and Canyon Creek (South Fork - Payette River) on the south side. In road distance, the summit is about midway between Stanley and Lowman. This section of SH-21 is usually not maintained during the winter months, due to light traffic and heavy snowfall.From the Wikipedia article “Banner Creek Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Banner Creek Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 55° NE | 9:29 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:14 AM | 123° ESE | 5:05 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:42 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:23 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:58 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 52m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Banner Creek Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:34 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:37 AM – 4:07 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 3:24 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:39 PM – 2:09 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:33 PM – 10:03 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 35 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 80 | 93 | 95 | 93 | 90 | 81 | 61 | 43 |
| Low °F | -23 | -22 | -15 | -1 | 13 | 24 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 2 | -16 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.9 |
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
- 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 Banner Creek Summit, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringHot Spring
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bull Trout2.1 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Banner Creek Campground5.3 km (3.3 mi)
- Thatcher Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi)
- Trap Creek Campground11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Cape Horn Winter Rental11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Banner Creek Summit?
What time is golden hour at Banner Creek Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Banner Creek Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Banner Creek Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Banner Creek Summit?
How far is Banner Creek Summit from Boise?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.