Haskell Pass — a mountain pass in Flathead County, Montana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kalispell, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Haskell Pass lies W of town).
Haskell Pass, elevation 4300 feet, is a historically significant but now little-used mountain pass in northwestern Montana, between the Flathead and Kootenai River drainages. From 1892 to 1904 it was traversed by the original main line of the Great Northern Railway from Kalispell to Libby. This route was abandoned in favor of a longer but flatter route via the Stillwater, Tobacco, and Kootenai Rivers. On the west side of the pass, much of the gravel Pleasant Valley Road lies atop the old roadbed. Near the summit, little evidence remains of the railroad with part of the 1400 feet summit tunnel having collapsed. East of Marion, Montana, the abandoned roadbed has become the Great Northern Historical Trail.1From the Wikipedia article “Haskell Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Haskell Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 52° NE | 9:44 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:28 AM | 126° SE | 4:48 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 21m |
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 | 7:50 AM | 8:25 AM | 9:16 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:31 AM | 5:17 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:16 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:42 PM | 10:23 PM | 16h 03m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:49 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:15 PM | 15h 41m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:23 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:47 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:18 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 23m |
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 Haskell Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:20 AM – 3:20 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 1:05 AM – 2:05 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:26 AM – 1:16 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:01 PM – 11:21 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 43 | 47 | 65 | 73 | 82 | 96 | 98 | 99 | 90 | 78 | 57 | 40 |
| Low °F | -32 | -38 | -29 | -7 | 20 | 24 | 35 | 35 | 22 | 2 | -29 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
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
- 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.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Haskell Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ashley Lake South Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi)
- Mcgregor Lake Campground18.6 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Peak Lookout (Mt)20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Sylvia Lake Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Star Meadows Guard Station24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Haskell Pass?
What time is golden hour at Haskell Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Haskell Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Haskell Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Haskell Pass?
How far is Haskell Pass from Kalispell?
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.