Kings Hill Pass is a mountain pass in Meagher County, Montana at about 2,251 m (7,385 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 86 km (54 mi) SSE of Great Falls.
Kings Hill Pass is part of the Kings Hill Scenic Byway which passes through the Little Belt Mountains in the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Montana, United States. The route is home to a wide variety of wildlife and provides many recreational opportunities for travelers on the route. The Byway is a 71-mile route that begins on U.S. Highway 89 at its junction with U.S. Highway 12. From the junction the Byway travels north through the Lewis and Clark National Forest through the communities of Neihart and Monarch Montana and on to its junction with U.S. Highway 87. The route offers access to the ski area at Showdown, Montana and Sluice Boxes State Park. The route travels over the Kings Hill Pass near Monarch Montana which snow removal crews work to keep open throughout the winter season. Kings Hill Pass is at an elevation of 7,393 feet. There is an observation tower that offers...From the Wikipedia article “Kings Hill Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kings Hill Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 54° NE | 9:22 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:06 AM | 125° SE | 4:37 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:30 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:08 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Kings Hill Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:40 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:11 AM – 2:31 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:48 PM – 1:28 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 11:26 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:21 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 39% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 42 | 49 | 65 | 75 | 83 | 89 | 97 | 93 | 86 | 79 | 62 | 45 |
| Low °F | -30 | -36 | -27 | 2 | 14 | 25 | 35 | 34 | 18 | -8 | -27 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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 Kings Hill Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kings Hill Cabin71 m · reservable
- Jumping Creek Campground11.0 km (6.8 mi)
- Calf Creek Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Hunters Spring Cabin23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Dry Wolf Cabin25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kings Hill Pass?
What time is golden hour at Kings Hill Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kings Hill Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kings Hill Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kings Hill Pass?
How far is Kings Hill Pass from Great Falls?
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.