Chad's Gap is a mountain pass in Salt Lake County, Utah. The nearest town is Park City, about 11.8 km (7.3 mi) away (Chad's Gap lies WSW of town).
Chad's Gap is a 120-foot (37 m) backcountry gap located in the Wasatch Mountains, approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km) northeast of Alta Ski Area, in northern Utah, United States. One version of the structure's discovery has it that Chad Zurinskas, a local Utah resident after whom the gap was purportedly named, discovered it as a gap between two piles of mine tailings in 1999 and arranged with filmmaker Kris Ostness to make the first successful jump. The first successful jump was done by Candide Thovex. Tanner Hall, also known as 'Ski Boss', blew both his ankles to pieces by coming up short on the gap. He recalled it to feel like someone had loaded his ski boots with dynamite. His exclamation, "My ankles are broken, my ankles are broke", has become famous in the snow sports world.From the Wikipedia article “Chad's Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chad's Gap the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 9:01 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 121° ESE | 5:03 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Chad's Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:54 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:55 PM – 2:25 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.01 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 September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 50 | 56 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 49 |
| Low °F | -23 | -28 | -14 | -6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 1 | -17 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 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
- 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 Chad's Gap, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Canyon
Ghost Town
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Lake
Wilderness Area
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Albion Basin2.3 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- Redman Campground3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Spruces - Big Cottonwood5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Jordan Pines5.9 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Tanners Flat7.0 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chad's Gap?
What time is golden hour at Chad's Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chad's Gap?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chad's Gap?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chad's Gap?
How far is Chad's Gap from Park City?
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.