Red Rock Pass — a mountain pass in Bannock County, Idaho at about 1,465 m (4,806 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) NE of Malad City.
Red Rock Pass is a low mountain pass in the Western United States in southeastern Idaho, located in southern Bannock County, south of Downey. It is geologically significant as the spillway of ancient Lake Bonneville. It is traversed by U.S. Route 91 at an elevation of 4,785 feet (1,458 m) above sea level, bounded by two mountain ranges; the Portneuf to the east and the Bannock to the west. The pass was cut through resistant Paleozoic shale, limestone, and dolomite, and forms a narrow gap two miles (3 km) in length. At one time the pass was 300 feet (90 m) higher, where the shoreline of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville stood. The pass takes its name from the red limestone cliffs which border it. Red Rock Pass has a surface deposit of calcareous silty alluvium with topsoil of dark grayish brown silt loam.From the Wikipedia article “Red Rock Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Red Rock Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 57° ENE | 9:09 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 122° ESE | 4:59 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Red Rock Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 12:08 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:05 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 54 | 72 | 82 | 93 | 97 | 102 | 99 | 94 | 84 | 66 | 54 |
| Low °F | -25 | -14 | -4 | 15 | 20 | 30 | 39 | 39 | 25 | 7 | -18 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 |
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Malad Summit Guard Station18.1 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Malad Summit Campground19.1 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Third Creek Group Site19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Maple Grove Campground27 km (17 mi)
- Redpoint Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red Rock Pass?
What time is golden hour at Red Rock Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Red Rock Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Red Rock Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Red Rock Pass?
How far is Red Rock Pass from Malad City?
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.