Located in Beaverhead County, Montana, Badger Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,059 m (6,755 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) W of Dillon.
Badger Pass (el. 6755 ft.) is a high mountain pass in Beaverhead County, Montana. It is located between Bannack, Montana and Dillon, and traversed by Montana Secondary Highway 278. The Badger Pass Mine is located at 45.21659 and W -112.95087. A "miniature gold rush" took place in the 1930s, with the discovery of an unusual sandstone formation on both sides of Badger Pass Road which turned out to contain gold, and was valued "as high as $42 a ton." The Badger claim is in the SE1/4 of section 26, T6S, R11W, north of the Ermont No. 19 shaft. It was claimed during the 1932 gold rush by Hurly Leach and D. V. Erwin. The mine was developed by an inclined shaft at least 110 feet deep into a silicified replacement body in Jefferson Dolomite. The mine was worked from 1933 to 1936 and again in 1941. Total production was 859 tons containing 330 ounces of gold, 123 ounces of silver and 102 pounds...From the Wikipedia article “Badger Pass (Pioneer Mountains)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Badger Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (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) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 55° NE | 9:24 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:09 AM | 124° ESE | 4:53 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 7:35 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:55 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:22 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 46m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Badger Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | 5:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:36 AM – 4:56 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:35 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 3:07 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:40 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and March 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 | 44 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 98 | 93 | 89 | 77 | 64 | 44 |
| Low °F | -31 | -24 | -22 | 4 | 17 | 25 | 33 | 31 | 19 | -1 | -25 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
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 Badger Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Birch Creek Cabin22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Henneberry House22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Grasshopper Campground (Mt)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Price Creek Campground (Mt)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Badger Pass?
What time is golden hour at Badger Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Badger Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Badger Pass?
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How far is Badger Pass from Dillon?
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.