Mount Rose Summit — a mountain pass in Washoe County, Nevada — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.5 km (5.9 mi) NE of Incline Village.
Mount Rose Summit is a mountain pass located in the Carson Range near Mount Rose and Slide Mountain, northeast of Incline Village, Nevada, United States. The 8,911-foot-high (2,716 m) pass is traversed by State Route 431, which is the highest point of the highway and the highest mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada that remains open year-round. The saddle itself features a parking lot and a small building which both serve as a highway stop. A closed dirt road leading to the Mount Rose Ski Resort ends near the northern section of the summit. The pass is the low point of the saddle between Slide Mountain and Tamarack Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Rose Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Rose Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Mount Rose Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Mount Rose Summit, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Hot Spring
Beach
Lake
Ghost Town
Ghost TownState ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mount Rose (Nv) 118 m · reservable
- Alpine Meadow Campground19.4 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Boca Spring19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Boca Campground20 km (12 mi) · reservable
- Boca Rest Campground20 km (12 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Rose Summit?
What time is golden hour at Mount Rose Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Rose Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Rose Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Rose Summit?
How far is Mount Rose Summit from Incline Village?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.