Located in Washington County, Maryland, Turner's Gap is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Boonsboro, about 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away (Turner's Gap lies SE of town).
Turner's Gap is a wind gap in the South Mountain Range of the Blue Ridge Mountains, located in Frederick County and Washington County, Maryland. The gap is traversed by U.S. Route 40 Alternate, the old National Pike. The Appalachian Trail also crosses the gap along the ridgeline.From the Wikipedia article “Turner's Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Turner'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) | 5:44 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| 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 41m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 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 | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:56 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 | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 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 Turner'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 | 5:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:12 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 ≈ 20.15 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
- 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.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Turner's Gap, closest first.
Mountain Pass
State Park
Cave
State Park
State Park
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rohrbach Group Campground10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Antietam Creek Campsite13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Bend Hiker-Biker Campsite13.2 km (8.2 mi)
- Big Woods Hiker-Biker Overnight (Hbo) Campsite14.8 km (9.2 mi)
- Killiansburg Cave Hiker-Biker Campsite15.4 km (9.6 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Turner's Gap?
What time is golden hour at Turner's Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Turner's Gap?
Can you see the Milky Way from Turner's Gap?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Turner's Gap?
How far is Turner's Gap from Boonsboro?
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.