Goshen Pass — a mountain pass in Rockbridge County, Virginia — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 15.5 km (9.6 mi) N of East Lexington.
Goshen Pass is a water gap, or gorge, in the Little North Mountain, formed by the passage of the Maury River, approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Lexington in Rockbridge County, Virginia. State Route 39 traverses the pass along the banks of the Maury River.From the Wikipedia article “Goshen Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goshen Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 59° ENE | 8:44 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 120° ESE | 5:03 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Goshen Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:31 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 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 October as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 74 | 74 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 101 | 104 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 4 | 23 | 31 | 42 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 17 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- 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 Goshen Pass, closest first.
Waterfall
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When is the best time to photograph Goshen Pass?
What time is golden hour at Goshen Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goshen Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goshen Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goshen Pass?
How far is Goshen Pass from East Lexington?
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.