MacDonald Pass is a mountain pass in Lewis and Clark County, Montana at about 1,924 m (6,312 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Helena West Side, about 15.5 km (9.6 mi) away (MacDonald Pass lies WSW of town).
MacDonald Pass, el.6,312 feet (1,924 m), (also known as McDonald Pass) is a mountain pass on the continental divide west of Helena, Montana that is traversed by U.S. Route 12. The pass is one of three passes (MacDonald, Mullan and Priest) used in the 1870s-80s for travel between Helena and Deer Lodge, Montana over the continental divide.From the Wikipedia article “MacDonald Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At MacDonald 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 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) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 54° NE | 9:27 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:11 AM | 124° SE | 4:45 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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 | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:58 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:43 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:14 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:58 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 36m |
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 MacDonald Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:46 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:48 AM – 4:48 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:43 AM – 3:33 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:13 AM – 2:43 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:51 PM – 1:31 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:40 PM – 11:30 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 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 December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 69 | 76 | 86 | 92 | 98 | 94 | 88 | 81 | 66 | 45 |
| Low °F | -25 | -28 | -28 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 34 | 31 | 20 | -4 | -25 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
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 MacDonald Pass, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Quigley Group Use255 m · reservable
- Moose Creek Campground5.6 km (3.5 mi)
- Moose Creek Cabin5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Kading Cabin19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Lost Horse Cabin24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph MacDonald Pass?
What time is golden hour at MacDonald Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at MacDonald Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from MacDonald Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at MacDonald Pass?
How far is MacDonald Pass from Helena West Side?
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.