Cline Hill Summit — a mountain pass in Lincoln County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) E of Toledo.
Cline Hill Summit is an Oregon mountain pass, over the Coast Range. It has also been classed as a gap, and, is in Lincoln County. Cline Hill has an elevation of 770 feet (230 m). It is traversed by US Route 20.From the Wikipedia article “Cline Hill Summit (Lincoln County, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cline Hill 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) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 55° NE | 9:04 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Cline Hill Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:06 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.48 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 89 | 94 | 80 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 19 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 4.8 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cline Hill Summit, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cline Hill Summit?
What time is golden hour at Cline Hill Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cline Hill Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cline Hill Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cline Hill Summit?
How far is Cline Hill Summit from Toledo?
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.