McKenzie Pass is a mountain pass in Deschutes County, Oregon at about 1,590 m (5,217 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) W of Sisters.
McKenzie Pass, elevation 5,325 feet (1,623 m), is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range in central Oregon in the United States. It is located at the border of Linn and Deschutes counties, approximately 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Bend, between the Three Sisters to the south and Mount Washington to the north. Oregon Route 242 goes over the pass. At the summit of the pass, Oregon Route 242 crosses a 65-square-mile (170 km2) lava flow just west of Sisters. Surrounded by lava, the Dee Wright Observatory was constructed in 1935 by Civilian Conservation Corps workers and named after their foreman. Visitors climb to the observatory to view the Cascade peaks visible from McKenzie Pass. Also near the summit is Clear Lake, a renowned location for fresh-water diving. Highway 242 is not recommended for large trucks, trailers or motor homes due to numerous tight switchbacks. The pass is closed...From the Wikipedia article “McKenzie Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McKenzie Pass 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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 55° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 53m |
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 McKenzie Pass, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 2:50 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.73 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 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 McKenzie Pass, closest first.
VolcanoVolcano
Rock FormationVolcanoVolcanoVolcanoVolcanoVolcano
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Scott Lake8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs Campground12.5 km (7.7 mi)
- Big Lake West Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Big Lake13.9 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph McKenzie Pass?
What time is golden hour at McKenzie Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at McKenzie Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from McKenzie Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McKenzie Pass?
How far is McKenzie Pass from Sisters?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.