Located in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Rogers Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,716 m (5,630 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) ENE of Lincoln.
Rogers Pass is a mountain pass that rises 5,610 feet (1,710 m) above sea level and is located on the Continental Divide in the U.S. state of Montana. The pass is adjacent to Helena National Forest and is traversed by Montana Highway 200, providing the shortest route between the cities of Great Falls and Missoula, Montana. It was the site of the coldest temperature ever recorded in the coterminous United States, on January 20, 1954.From the Wikipedia article “Rogers Pass (Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rogers 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 236° (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) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 53° NE | 9:29 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:14 AM | 125° SE | 4:43 PM | 236° SW | 19° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:01 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:42 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:22 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:14 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:02 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Rogers Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 | 5:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:57 AM – 3:27 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:22 AM – 2:32 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:57 PM – 1:27 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:43 PM – 11:23 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 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 | 53 | 54 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 93 | 99 | 94 | 89 | 82 | 66 | 47 |
| Low °F | -28 | -27 | -25 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 34 | 35 | 9 | -1 | -21 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
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 Rogers Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cummings Cabin14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Grove Group Use Area (Helena-Lewis And Clark Nf, Mt)16.0 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Indian Meadows Guard Station17.5 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Granite Butte Lookout25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Holter Dam Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rogers Pass?
What time is golden hour at Rogers Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rogers Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rogers Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rogers Pass?
How far is Rogers Pass from Lincoln?
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.