Located in Klamath County, Oregon, Hayden Mountain Summit is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Klamath Falls, about 30 km (18 mi) away (Hayden Mountain Summit lies WSW of town).
Hayden Mountain Summit (el. 4705 ft.) is a mountain pass in the U.S. state of Oregon traversed by Oregon Route 66.From the Wikipedia article “Hayden Mountain Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hayden Mountain Summit 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 303° (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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 57° ENE | 8:49 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 122° ESE | 4:40 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 | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 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 Hayden Mountain Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:49 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:56 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 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 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 19% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 29 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.5 |
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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Hayden Mountain Summit, closest first.
Hot Spring
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Topsy Campground 5.7 km (3.5 mi)
- Sunset - Lake Of The Woods (Or)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Dam Group Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Hyatt Lake Recreation Area30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hayden Mountain Summit?
What time is golden hour at Hayden Mountain Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hayden Mountain Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hayden Mountain Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hayden Mountain Summit?
How far is Hayden Mountain Summit from Klamath Falls?
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.