Narbona Pass is a mountain pass in San Juan County, New Mexico at about 2,661 m (8,730 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Navajo, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Narbona Pass lies NE of town).
Narbona Pass (formerly Washington Pass) is a pass through the natural break between the Tunicha and Chuska Mountains, an elongated range on the Colorado Plateau on the Navajo Nation. A paved road, New Mexico Highway 134, crosses the range through Narbona Pass, connecting Sheep Springs to Crystal. Contrary to the Navajo tradition of not naming monuments after people, the pass was given the name Narbona to celebrate his victory over an invading Mexican army that was sent to destroy the Navajo in 1835. Known in the Navajo Language as So Sila (Twin Stars), the pass was lately named in English for Colonel John M. Washington in 1859. He was a New Mexico military governor who led an expedition into Navajo country in 1849 in which he was accused of walling up a Navajo Spring, and whose troops later shot Navajo leader Narbona. In 1992 the pass gained its current name, which honors Narbona.From the Wikipedia article “Narbona Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Narbona Pass 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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 60° ENE | 8:36 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 119° ESE | 5:05 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Narbona Pass, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:24 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:36 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: 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.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 60 | 68 | 77 | 85 | 98 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 96 | 88 | 74 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | 14 | 22 | 26 | 38 | 52 | 51 | 31 | 13 | 12 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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 Narbona Pass, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Narbona Pass?
What time is golden hour at Narbona Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Narbona Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Narbona Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Narbona Pass?
How far is Narbona Pass from Navajo?
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.