Mountain Springs Summit is a mountain pass in Clark County, Nevada. The nearest town is Summerlin South, about 19.2 km (11.9 mi) away (Mountain Springs Summit lies SW of town).
Mountain Springs Summit [el. 5,496 ft (1,675 m)] is a mountain pass in the Spring Mountains of Southern Nevada in the United States. The pass is on the summit of a ridge in the Spring Mountains between the Mount Charleston area and the rest of the Mojave Desert and is located on the border of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The pass connects the Pahrump Valley with the Las Vegas Valley, and it is traversed by State Route 160.From the Wikipedia article “Mountain Springs Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mountain Springs Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 60° ENE | 8:03 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 119° ESE | 4:32 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 42m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:03 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:30 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Mountain Springs Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:36 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 3:52 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 82 | 89 | 100 | 107 | 106 | 105 | 103 | 91 | 79 | 68 |
| Low °F | 8 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 31 | 38 | 55 | 51 | 37 | 20 | 19 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
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 Mountain Springs Summit, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Rock Canyon Campground16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Kyle Canyon Picnic Area Day Use29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Fletcher View29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Group Picnic Sites29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Cathedral Rock Picnic Area29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mountain Springs Summit?
What time is golden hour at Mountain Springs Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mountain Springs Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mountain Springs Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mountain Springs Summit?
How far is Mountain Springs Summit from Summerlin South?
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.