Located in Clackamas County, Oregon, Abbot Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,082 m (3,550 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 33 km (21 mi) SE of Mount Hood Village.
Abbot Pass is a 3,533 feet (1,077 m) high pass over the south side of Mount Hood, in Clackamas County, Oregon. U.S. Route 26 passes, over Abbot Pass. Abbot Pass is named for Henry Larcom Abbot.From the Wikipedia article “Abbot Pass (Clackamas County, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Abbot Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 55° NE | 8:58 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 124° ESE | 4:28 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:28 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 47m |
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 Abbot Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:15 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Abbot Pass, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
Mountain PassWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallLake
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Clear Lake Cabin Lookout3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Little Crater Lake3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Joe Graham Horse Campground4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Clackamas Lake Historic Cabin5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Clackamas Lake5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Abbot Pass?
What time is golden hour at Abbot Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Abbot Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Abbot Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Abbot Pass?
How far is Abbot Pass from Mount Hood Village?
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.