Located in Lake County, Montana, Eagle Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,275 m (7,464 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Ronan, about 15.2 km (9.4 mi) away (Eagle Pass lies SE of town).
Eagle Pass (el. 7,464 ft/2,275 m) is a high mountain pass in Lake County, Montana in the United States. It is called nšt̓ew̓s sx̣ʷcusi in Salish, or "Standing in Middle" because a pillar of rock stands in the middle of the pass.From the Wikipedia article “Eagle Pass (Lake County, Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eagle Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 53° NE | 9:37 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:21 AM | 125° SE | 4:48 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:09 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:16 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:35 PM | 10:16 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:08 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:20 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:10 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:22 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Eagle Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:05 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:10 AM – 4:50 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:09 AM – 3:29 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:40 AM – 2:30 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:11 AM – 1:31 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 (73%). 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 | 37 | 45 | 65 | 71 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 95 | 87 | 77 | 59 | 38 |
| Low °F | -29 | -36 | -27 | -7 | 20 | 27 | 35 | 35 | 20 | -10 | -15 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Eagle Pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfall
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lindbergh Lake Campground17.3 km (10.7 mi)
- Old Condon Ranger Station22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Owl Creek Corral25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Holland Lake Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Owl Creek Cabin28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eagle Pass?
What time is golden hour at Eagle Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eagle Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eagle Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eagle Pass?
How far is Eagle Pass from Ronan?
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.