Located in Eureka County, Nevada, Emigrant Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,867 m (6,125 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Carlin, about 15.7 km (9.8 mi) away (Emigrant Pass lies WSW of town).
Emigrant Pass is a mountain pass in Eureka County, Nevada, United States. It originally carried the California Trail over the Emigrant Hills of northern Eureka County, reaching a peak elevation of 6,125 feet (1,867 m). Interstate 80 now follows the California Trail's route over the pass. The small town of Primeaux is just west of the pass.From the Wikipedia article “Emigrant Pass (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Emigrant Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 58° ENE | 8:20 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 121° ESE | 4:22 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Emigrant Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 3:29 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 1:36 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:38 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 9:39 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 7:37 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 65 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 96 | 102 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 87 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -17 | -3 | 1 | 17 | 20 | 26 | 44 | 42 | 28 | 16 | 2 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 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
- 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.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Emigrant Pass, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Emigrant Pass?
What time is golden hour at Emigrant Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Emigrant Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Emigrant Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Emigrant Pass?
How far is Emigrant Pass from Carlin?
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.