Located in Jackson County, Oregon, Siskiyou Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,369 m (4,491 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 18.3 km (11.4 mi) SSE of Ashland.
Siskiyou Pass (sometimes called Siskiyou Summit) is a historic mountain pass in the Siskiyou Mountains of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the most used pass in Oregon. The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) made the Siskiyou Trail over the pass before pioneers traversed it with their wagons, while still later it evolved into a stage road, a railroad line, and a highway route. The name Siskiyou is believed to be derived from Cree, meaning "bob-tailed horse". Siskiyou Pass is west of the summit (high point) of Interstate 5, which is known as Siskiyou Summit (though sometimes it is referred to as "Siskiyou Pass").From the Wikipedia article “Siskiyou Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Siskiyou Pass 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 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 57° ENE | 8:50 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 122° ESE | 4:43 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 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 | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Siskiyou Pass, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:56 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 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
- 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 Siskiyou Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
State Park
Hot Spring
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hyatt Lake Recreation Area17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Tree Of Heaven Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Siskiyou Pass?
What time is golden hour at Siskiyou Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Siskiyou Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Siskiyou Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Siskiyou Pass?
How far is Siskiyou Pass from Ashland?
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.