Nez Perce Pass — a mountain pass in Idaho County, Idaho at about 1,999 m (6,558 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 129 km (80 mi) WSW of Anaconda.
Nez Perce Pass is a mountain pass in the Bitterroot Mountains on the border between the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana. The pass is at an elevation of 6,587 feet (2,008 m) above sea level. The Nez Perce Pass Trailhead offers access to the Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness and the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness. The pass is located "between Wildernesses nearly twice as large as the combined states of Delaware and Rhode Island," on what is "probably one of the wildest roads in the United States." To the north is the 1.2-million-acre Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness and to the south the 2.2-million-acre Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness. These areas comprise over 11% of the Congressionally established Wilderness area in the 48 contiguous states. A sign honoring Doris Milner of Hamilton, Montana, "graces the Montana side" of the pass. "A sign honoring Idaho Senator Frank...From the Wikipedia article “Nez Perce Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nez Perce Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:49 AM | 54° NE | 8:32 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 124° SE | 3:57 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 40m |
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 | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:10 AM | 4:49 AM | 5:35 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:27 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:41 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:05 PM | 3:55 PM | 4:29 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Nez Perce Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 3:54 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:45 AM – 2:45 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 43 | 47 | 63 | 72 | 82 | 89 | 98 | 94 | 89 | 81 | 63 | 42 |
| Low °F | -30 | -32 | -13 | 1 | 17 | 24 | 33 | 29 | 21 | -2 | -20 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Nez Perce Pass, closest first.
Hot Spring
Fire Lookout
WaterfallHot Spring
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fales Flat Campground5.7 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Magruder Rangers House16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Rombo18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Alta Campground18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Paradise Campground24 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nez Perce Pass?
What time is golden hour at Nez Perce Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nez Perce Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nez Perce Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nez Perce Pass?
How far is Nez Perce Pass from Anaconda?
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.