Tygh Grade Summit — a mountain pass in Wasco County, Oregon — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 30 km (19 mi) S of The Dalles.
Tygh Grade Summit (el. 2697 ft.) is a mountain pass in Oregon traversed by U.S. Route 197 and is located about 6.5 miles north of Tygh Valley.From the Wikipedia article “Tygh Grade Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tygh Grade Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 124° ESE | 4:25 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 7:41 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Tygh Grade Summit, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:09 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:08 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 2:40 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 1:23 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:19 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:19 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Tygh Grade Summit, closest first.
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Waterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rock Creek Campground (Mt. Hood National Forest, Or)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Flag Point Lookout 25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Fivemile Butte Lookout27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tygh Grade Summit?
What time is golden hour at Tygh Grade Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tygh Grade Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tygh Grade Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tygh Grade Summit?
How far is Tygh Grade Summit from The Dalles?
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.