Drews Gap — a mountain pass in Lake County, Oregon — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lakeview, about 19.2 km (11.9 mi) away (Drews Gap lies W of town).
Drews Gap (el. 5306 ft.) is a mountain pass in the U.S. state of Oregon traversed by Oregon Route 140. It is named for Major Charles S. Drew of the 1st Oregon Cavalry, who surveyed a route from Fort Klamath east to the Owyhee River in 1864 that became the Oregon Central Military Road. It is located between Drews Reservoir and Booth State Scenic Corridor which is just east of the summit and 12 miles west of Lakeview.From the Wikipedia article “Drews Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Drews Gap the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 122° ESE | 4:34 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Drews Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:55 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 1:44 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:39 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 60 | 60 | 71 | 77 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -14 | -5 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 27 | 37 | 35 | 26 | 16 | -1 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
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 Drews Gap, closest first.
State Park
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Hot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Drews Gap?
What time is golden hour at Drews Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Drews Gap?
Can you see the Milky Way from Drews Gap?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Drews Gap?
How far is Drews Gap from Lakeview?
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.