Sherburne Pass is a mountain pass in Rutland County, Vermont at about 657 m (2,156 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.7 km (4.8 mi) E of Mendon.
Sherburne Pass, is a mountain pass in the Green Mountains of Vermont, between 3,957-foot (1,206 m) Pico Peak to the south and 2,782-foot (848 m) Deer Leap Mountain to the north. The height of land of the pass is located in the town of Killington, while its western ascent begins in the town of Mendon. On the east side, the pass drains into Kent Brook, thence into the Ottauquechee River, the Connecticut River, and into Long Island Sound in Connecticut. To the west, the pass drains via Mendon Brook, then East Creek, into Otter Creek, thence into Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain drains into the Richelieu River in Québec, thence into the Saint Lawrence River, and into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Pico Mountain, part of Killington Ski Resort since December 1997, is on the south side of Sherburne Pass, with a ski lifts running from Rte. 4 to the summit of Pico Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Sherburne Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sherburne Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (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 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° NE | 8:37 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 123° ESE | 4:18 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 57m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Sherburne Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:19 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:13 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 2:38 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:18 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.41 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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 Sherburne Pass, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered BridgeWaterfall
State Park
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sherburne Pass?
What time is golden hour at Sherburne Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sherburne Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sherburne Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sherburne Pass?
How far is Sherburne Pass from Mendon?
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.