Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in Powell County, Montana at about 1,808 m (5,932 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Helena West Side, about 15.5 km (9.6 mi) away (Mullan Pass lies WNW of town).
Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in the western United States, in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. It sits on the Continental Divide on the border between Powell and Lewis and Clark counties at 5,902 feet (1,799 m) above sea level. Located in the Helena National Forest, the pass is thirteen miles (21 km) west of the city of Helena. The Northern Pacific Railway (NP) used the pass for its line from Logan to Garrison via Helena, built in 1883. This line was the NP's primary freight route and was also used by their secondary passenger train, the Mainstreeter. The NP also built an alternate line over Homestake Pass, which was used by their primary passenger train, the North Coast Limited. The rail line at Mullan Pass is currently operated by BNSF Railway; it crosses under the pass and the continental divide at 5,566 feet (1,697 m) via the 3,426-foot (0.65 mi; 1.04 km) Mullan Tunnel. The pass...From the Wikipedia article “Mullan Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mullan 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) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 54° NE | 9:27 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:12 AM | 125° SE | 4:45 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 8:59 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:42 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 20m |
| 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 35m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 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 | 5:51 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:37 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 56m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:59 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 35m |
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 Mullan 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| 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 | 3:49 AM – 4:39 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:55 AM – 3:25 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:17 AM – 2:37 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:54 PM – 1:34 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:42 PM – 11:32 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:27 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 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
- 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 Mullan Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Quigley Group Use8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Moose Creek Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi)
- Moose Creek Cabin13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Lost Horse Cabin17.0 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Kading Cabin26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mullan Pass?
What time is golden hour at Mullan Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mullan Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mullan Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mullan Pass?
How far is Mullan 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.