Located in Gallatin County, Montana, Bozeman Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,738 m (5,702 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Bozeman, about 18.0 km (11.2 mi) away (Bozeman Pass lies E of town).
Bozeman Pass el. 5,702 feet (1,738 m) is a mountain pass situated approximately 13 miles (21 km) east of Bozeman, Montana and approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Livingston, Montana on Interstate 90. It separates the Bridger and Gallatin mountain ranges. It is named after pioneer John Bozeman, a young Georgian who opened the Bozeman Trail from Fort Laramie, Wyoming to Virginia City, Montana in 1863, via the pass which now bears his name. The pass is part of a transcontinental railroad route constructed by the Northern Pacific Railway between Saint Paul, Minnesota and Tacoma, Washington. The Northern Pacific opened a 3,652 feet (1,113 m) tunnel under the Pass in 1884. A shorter 3,015 feet (919 m) tunnel just north of the original opened in 1945. The tracks are now used by BNSF Railway.From the Wikipedia article “Bozeman Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bozeman Pass 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.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 54° NE | 9:17 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 124° SE | 4:43 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:09 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Bozeman Pass, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:30 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:45 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:18 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 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 40% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 47 | 62 | 72 | 83 | 88 | 97 | 92 | 86 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -27 | -31 | -22 | -2 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 31 | 20 | -8 | -30 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Bozeman Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trail Creek Cabin11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Mystic Lake Cabin16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Langohr Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Lower Hyalite Group23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Hood Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bozeman Pass?
What time is golden hour at Bozeman Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bozeman Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bozeman Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bozeman Pass?
How far is Bozeman Pass from Bozeman?
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.