Located in Blaine County, Idaho, Galena Summit is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Sun Valley, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Galena Summit lies NW of town).
Galena Summit is a high mountain pass in the western United States in central Idaho, at an elevation of 8,701 feet (2,652 m) above sea level. The pass is located in the Boulder Mountains, in the northwest corner of Blaine County, within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area of the Sawtooth National Forest. The summit is on State Highway 75, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, and is 29 miles (47 km) northwest of Ketchum and the Sun Valley ski resort. It is the highest summit of a highway in the Northwest. Prior to 1977, Highway 75 was designated U.S. Route 93, which is now to the east on the former U.S. 93 alternate, through Arco and the Lost River Valley.From the Wikipedia article “Galena Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Galena Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 56° NE | 9:26 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:11 AM | 123° ESE | 5:05 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:39 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Galena Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:31 AM – 6:11 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:31 AM – 4:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:46 PM – 3:26 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 2:13 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:29 PM – 10:09 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 45 | 50 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 64 | 45 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -8 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 6 | -29 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Galena Summit, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot Spring
National Forest
Dark Sky Place
Wilderness AreaMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chemeketan Campground4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)12.5 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Smokey Bear Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- North Shore Campground13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Alturas Lake Inlet13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Galena Summit?
What time is golden hour at Galena Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Galena Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Galena Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Galena Summit?
How far is Galena Summit from Sun Valley?
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.