Located in Salt Lake County, Utah, Guardsman Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,955 m (9,695 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.5 km (4.0 mi) SW of Park City.
Guardsman Pass (elevation 9,717 feet (2,962 m) is a high mountain pass in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. The pass is located on the boundaries of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (specifically the portion known as the Wasatch National Forest) to the west, and the Bonanza Flats backcountry area to the east. It is located just south of Tri-County Peak, where Summit, Wasatch, and Salt Lake counties meet, and also provides summer hiking and winter snowmobiling access to Clayton Peak at the top of Brighton Ski Resort. It is also a trailhead for other trails in the area, though some are being moved due to the lack of space for parking and the limited sight distance for vehicles pulling out onto the roadway.From the Wikipedia article “Guardsman Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Guardsman Pass 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 58° ENE | 9:01 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 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 | 7:18 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 | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 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 | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:17 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 Guardsman Pass, 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 ≈ 20.18 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
- 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.
- 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 Guardsman Pass, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Mountain Pass
State Park
Waterfall
Ghost Town
Hot Spring
State Park
Canyon
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Redman Campground3.0 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Albion Basin5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Spruces - Big Cottonwood7.8 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Jordan Pines8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Tanners Flat12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Guardsman Pass?
What time is golden hour at Guardsman Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Guardsman Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Guardsman Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Guardsman Pass?
How far is Guardsman Pass from Park City?
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.