Picture Rock Pass is a mountain pass in Lake County, Oregon. The nearest town is Deschutes River Woods, about 114 km (71 mi) away (Picture Rock Pass lies SSE of town).
Picture Rock Pass, elevation 4,830 feet (1,470 m), is a mountain pass in Oregon traversed by Oregon Route 31. It is located between the communities of Silver Lake and Paisley in Lake County. Geographically, it separates Silver Lake and Summer Lake. These two lakes with their related drainage basins are the most northwesterly part of the Great Basin. The name of the pass comes from petroglyphs on rocks south of the highway at the Picture Rock Pass Petroglyphs Site.From the Wikipedia article “Picture Rock Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Picture Rock Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 56° ENE | 8:47 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 122° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:39 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Picture Rock Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:48 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.8 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 23% 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 | 59 | 61 | 75 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 103 | 99 | 98 | 87 | 71 | 57 |
| Low °F | -14 | -3 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 38 | 37 | 29 | 15 | 2 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Picture Rock Pass, closest first.
Lake
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Duncan Reservoir Campground12.1 km (7.5 mi)
- Hager Mountain Lookout19.4 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Fremont Point Cabin20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Picture Rock Pass?
What time is golden hour at Picture Rock Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Picture Rock Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Picture Rock Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Picture Rock Pass?
How far is Picture Rock Pass from Deschutes River Woods?
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.