Cooke's Pass — a mountain pass in Luna County, New Mexico — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Keeler Farm, about 17.1 km (10.6 mi) away (Cooke's Pass lies NNE of town).
Cooke's Pass, also known as Massacre Canyon, is a narrow gap running east and west through the Cookes Range In Luna County, New Mexico. Its apex is a saddle, at an elevation of about 5100 feet between Fryingpan Canyon on the west and the narrow upper part of Cooke's Canyon west of Cooke's Spring. Cooke's Pass is just north of Massacre Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Cooke's Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cooke's Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 61° ENE | 8:22 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 118° ESE | 5:10 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 01m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 02m |
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 Cooke's Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:51 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 5:07 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:37 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:46 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:51 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 75 | 80 | 86 | 94 | 105 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 101 | 93 | 82 | 74 |
| Low °F | 16 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 36 | 50 | 60 | 55 | 46 | 24 | 20 | 17 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cooke's Pass, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cooke's Pass?
What time is golden hour at Cooke's Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cooke's Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cooke's Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cooke's Pass?
How far is Cooke's Pass from Keeler Farm?
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.