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45.8471° N116.2218° WBortle 2Los Angeles

White Bird Hill Summit Photography Guide

Mountain Pass in Idaho County, Idaho

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 236°–306°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Aug

White Bird Hill Summit is a mountain pass in Idaho County, Idaho. It sits roughly 11.7 km (7.3 mi) SW of Grangeville.

White Bird Hill Summit is a mountain pass in the northwest United States, located in north central Idaho on U.S. Highway 95. In Idaho County, it is midway between White Bird and Grangeville. The summit elevation of the highway is 4,245 feet (1,294 m) above sea level, through a substantial cut. The modern multi-lane highway was completed 51 years ago, following ten years of construction which concluded with the opening of the 811-foot-long (247 m) steel bridge at the base over White Bird Creek in June 1975. The treeless northbound grade climbs 2,700 vertical feet (825 m) in seven miles (11 km), an average gradient of over seven percent.From the Wikipedia article “White Bird Hill Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Grangeville
11.7 km (7.3 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
29% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
2.8 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:20 PM
sunset 6:00 PM

Light at White Bird Hill Summit

Live
Sunrise
7:09 AM
Sunset
5:52 PM
Golden hour AM
6:50 AM – 7:50 AM
Golden hour PM
5:10 PM – 6:10 PM
Blue hour AM
6:39 AM – 6:50 AM
Blue hour PM
6:10 PM – 6:22 PM
Full darkness
7:31 PM – 5:31 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:27 PM / 12:52 AM
Day length
10h 43m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At White Bird Hill Summit 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)6:49 AM89° E6:58 PM271° W44°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)4:55 AM54° NE8:39 PM306° NW68°15h 44m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:33 AM89° E6:44 PM271° W44°12h 12m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:24 AM124° SE4:03 PM236° WSW21°8h 39m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:50 AM7:23 AM8:11 AM3:39 PM4:27 PM5:00 PM9h 04m
February6:18 AM6:48 AM7:30 AM4:30 PM5:12 PM5:42 PM10h 23m
March6:29 AM6:58 AM7:38 AM6:11 PM6:51 PM7:21 PM11h 53m
April5:28 AM5:59 AM6:39 AM6:51 PM7:32 PM8:03 PM13h 32m
May4:39 AM5:14 AM5:57 AM7:27 PM8:10 PM8:45 PM14h 56m
June4:17 AM4:55 AM5:41 AM7:51 PM8:38 PM9:16 PM15h 43m
July4:33 AM5:10 AM5:55 AM7:48 PM8:33 PM9:10 PM15h 23m
August5:13 AM5:46 AM6:27 AM7:14 PM7:55 PM8:27 PM14h 09m
September5:54 AM6:24 AM7:03 AM6:19 PM6:58 PM7:28 PM12h 34m
October6:32 AM7:02 AM7:43 AM5:20 PM6:00 PM6:30 PM10h 58m
November6:13 AM6:46 AM7:31 AM3:30 PM4:15 PM4:47 PM9h 29m
December6:46 AM7:20 AM8:10 AM3:12 PM4:01 PM4:36 PM8h 41m

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 White Bird Hill Summit, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
March4:51 AM – 5:11 AM0.312°SSE → SSE
April2:51 AM – 4:01 AM1.214°SSE → SSE
May12:52 AM – 2:52 AM2.015°SSE → S
June11:17 PM – 2:07 AM2.815°SSE → SSW
July10:58 PM – 12:58 AM2.015°S → SSW
August9:52 PM – 10:52 PM1.014°SSW → SSW
September8:40 PM – 8:50 PM0.211°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—6°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 21.84 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 29% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (75%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F4351677685941009591856347
Low °F-17-11-2720293835276-4-14
Precip. (in)3.13.13.63.02.92.50.60.71.22.23.03.7

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.

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 White Bird Hill Summit, closest first.

Tolo LakeLake
Tolo Lake7.7 km away · Idaho County · 986 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph White Bird Hill Summit?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
What time is golden hour at White Bird Hill Summit?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:20 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:00 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:43 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at White Bird Hill Summit?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 54° in June to 124° in December; sunset ranges from 306° to 236°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from White Bird Hill Summit?
Yes — the core is visible from April to August on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at White Bird Hill Summit?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is White Bird Hill Summit from Grangeville?
About 11.7 km (7.3 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.