Whitmire Pass — a mountain pass in Hidalgo County, New Mexico at about 1,517 m (4,977 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 95 km (59 mi) ENE of Douglas.
Whitmire Pass is a gap in the Animas Mountains in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. It lies at an elevation of 4,977 feet (1,517 meters). The pass was named after J. B. Whitmire, a rancher in the 1880s, owner of the Whitmire Ranch that lies to the east of the pass, on the west shore of Playas Lake, nearby Whitmire Spring. Whitmire Creek flows from the west slope of the pass, into Animas Creek in the Animas Valley. Another, unnamed arroyo runs eastward down into the Playas Valley, toward Playas Lake at Whitmire Spring.From the Wikipedia article “Whitmire Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whitmire Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:11 AM | 62° ENE | 8:24 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 117° ESE | 5:16 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 04m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 05m |
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 Whitmire 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 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 | 4:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:55 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 5:19 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:39 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:59 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:58 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:54 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 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 May as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). June 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 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 93 | 103 | 107 | 107 | 103 | 99 | 93 | 83 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 37 | 51 | 59 | 57 | 47 | 25 | 19 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whitmire Pass?
What time is golden hour at Whitmire Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whitmire Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whitmire Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whitmire Pass?
How far is Whitmire Pass from Douglas?
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.