Located in Beaverhead County, Montana, Chief Joseph Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,210 m (7,251 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 57 km (35 mi) N of Salmon.
Chief Joseph Pass (elev. 7,251 feet (2,210 m)) is a mountain pass on the continental divide of the Rocky Mountains in the northwestern United States joining Lemhi County, Idaho, and Beaverhead County, Montana. The pass is in the Bitterroot Mountains and is traversed by Montana Highway 43; it is named after Chief Joseph of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce tribe, who traversed the pass in the summer of 1877 during the Nez Perce War, prior to the Battle of the Big Hole to the east. West of the pass, the highway connects with US-93 at Lost Trail Pass, about a half-mile (0.8 km) west of the divide. Between the passes, the Montana highway is actually in Idaho, for about one mile (1.6 km). This is the northernmost pass on the continental divide between Idaho and Montana. Less than a mile north, the divide heads eastward into Montana, following the Ravalli–Beaverhead county line towards...From the Wikipedia article “Chief Joseph Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chief Joseph 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) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 54° NE | 9:30 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:14 AM | 124° SE | 4:55 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:01 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:23 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 42m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Chief Joseph 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 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 | 5:42 AM – 6:02 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:42 AM – 4:52 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:08 AM – 2:58 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:49 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:43 PM – 11:43 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:31 PM – 9:41 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 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 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 | 40 | 46 | 61 | 71 | 83 | 88 | 97 | 92 | 87 | 77 | 62 | 41 |
| Low °F | -30 | -31 | -17 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 31 | 30 | 20 | -4 | -21 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Chief Joseph Pass, closest first.
Mountain PassMountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gordon Reese Cabin1.0 km (0.6 mi) · reservable
- Hogan Cabin5.2 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Indian Trees Campground8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Twin Creek Campground Group Camping Site9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- May Creek Cabin9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chief Joseph Pass?
What time is golden hour at Chief Joseph Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chief Joseph Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chief Joseph Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chief Joseph Pass?
How far is Chief Joseph Pass from Salmon?
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.