Lolo Pass — a mountain pass in Clearwater County, Idaho at about 1,592 m (5,223 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Lolo National Forest. It sits roughly 40 km (25 mi) WNW of Stevensville.
Lolo Pass, elevation 5,233 feet (1,595 m), is a mountain pass in the western United States, in the Bitterroot Range of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is on the border between the states of Montana and Idaho, approximately forty miles (65 km) west-southwest of Missoula, Montana. The pass is the highest point of the historic Lolo Trail, between the Bitterroot Valley in Montana and the Weippe Prairie in Idaho. The trail, known as naptnišaqs, or "Nez Perce Trail" in Salish, was used by Nez Perce in the 18th century, and by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, guided by Old Toby of the Shoshone, on their westward snowbound journey in September 1805. After a winter at Fort Clatsop in present-day northwestern Oregon, the Corps of Discovery returned the following June. The Lolo Trail is a National Historic Landmark, designated for its importance to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and its...From the Wikipedia article “Lolo Pass (Idaho–Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lolo Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:46 AM | 54° NE | 8:36 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 125° SE | 3:54 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:29 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:42 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:06 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:32 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 4:23 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:39 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:01 PM | 3:52 PM | 4:27 PM | 8h 35m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Lolo Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 3:48 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:04 AM – 2:34 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 12:43 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 10:41 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 8:36 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 65 | 71 | 81 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 89 | 80 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -26 | -36 | -25 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 20 | -11 | -14 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lolo Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White Sands Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi)
- Powell Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Butte Lookout17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Whitehouse Campground20 km (13 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lolo Pass?
What time is golden hour at Lolo Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lolo Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lolo Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lolo Pass?
How far is Lolo Pass from Stevensville?
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.