Crampton's Gap is a mountain pass in Frederick County, Maryland. The nearest town is Middletown, about 9.0 km (5.6 mi) away (Crampton's Gap lies WSW of town).
Crampton's Gap, also known as Crampton Gap, is a wind gap on South Mountain in Maryland. The 928 feet (283 m) gap connects Burkittsville in the Middletown Valley to the east with Gapland and Rohrersville in the Pleasant Valley to the west. Documentation of the earliest land tracts in the Crampton's Gap area and records related to the earliest road may be found in The Land Tracts of the Battlefield of South Mountain by Curtis L. Older. The gap is the location of Gathland State Park and was the site of the Battle of Crampton's Gap on September 14, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War.From the Wikipedia article “Crampton's Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crampton's Gap the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Crampton's Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.37 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 68 | 76 | 78 | 89 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -10 | -5 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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 Crampton's Gap, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
State Park
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
State Park
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Antietam Creek Campsite9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Rohrbach Group Campground11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Huckleberry Hill Hiker-Biker Campsite12.6 km (7.9 mi)
- Bald Eagle Island Hiker-Biker Campsite14.2 km (8.8 mi)
- Horseshoe Bend Hiker-Biker Campsite14.4 km (8.9 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crampton's Gap?
What time is golden hour at Crampton's Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crampton's Gap?
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How far is Crampton's Gap from Middletown?
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.