Located in Wheeler County, Oregon, Butte Creek Summit is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Madras, about 86 km (54 mi) away (Butte Creek Summit lies ENE of town).
Butte Creek Summit (el. 4,026 feet (1,227 m)) is a mountain pass in Oregon traversed by Oregon Route 19.From the Wikipedia article “Butte Creek Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Butte Creek Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 55° NE | 8:51 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 123° ESE | 4:23 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Butte Creek Summit, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:15 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:13 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:13 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 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 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 62 | 63 | 75 | 83 | 93 | 98 | 104 | 101 | 99 | 89 | 71 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 25 | 31 | 38 | 37 | 28 | 15 | -2 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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 Butte Creek Summit, closest first.
Ghost Town
Rock Formation
Wilderness Area
Natural Arch
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Butte Creek Summit?
What time is golden hour at Butte Creek Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Butte Creek Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Butte Creek Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Butte Creek Summit?
How far is Butte Creek Summit from Madras?
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.