Criterion Summit is a mountain pass in Wasco County, Oregon. The nearest town is Warm Springs, about 33 km (20 mi) away (Criterion Summit lies NE of town).
Criterion Summit, elevation about 3,360 feet (1,020 m) above sea level, is a mountain pass in the U.S. state of Oregon that is traversed by U.S. Route 197. It lies south of Maupin, approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of the intersection of Route 197 with U.S. Route 97. A sign and viewpoint map mark the summit. The map shows peaks of the Cascade Range that are visible from this spot, from Broken Top on the southwest to Mount Adams on the northwest. The summit is near the historic unincorporated community of Criterion.From the Wikipedia article “Criterion Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Criterion 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 55° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 123° ESE | 4:26 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 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 Criterion 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:07 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:17 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:17 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 ≈ 21.8 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 Criterion Summit, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Criterion Summit?
What time is golden hour at Criterion Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Criterion Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Criterion Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Criterion Summit?
How far is Criterion Summit from Warm Springs?
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.