Ashnola Pass — a mountain pass in Okanogan County, Washington at about 1,898 m (6,227 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sedro-Woolley, about 149 km (93 mi) away (Ashnola Pass lies ENE of town).
Ashnola Pass is a mountain pass in the North Cascades of northwestern Washington in the Pasayten Wilderness. See Ashnola River for name information.From the Wikipedia article “Ashnola Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ashnola Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:58 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:07 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:42 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:15 AM | 4:58 AM | 5:48 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:50 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:34 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:10 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Ashnola Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:52 AM – 4:02 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:01 AM – 2:41 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:51 PM – 2:21 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:02 AM – 12:32 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:29 PM – 10:29 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). August 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 | 45 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 85 | 76 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -15 | -1 | 15 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 22 | 2 | -20 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
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.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- 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 Ashnola Pass, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ashnola Pass?
What time is golden hour at Ashnola Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ashnola Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ashnola Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ashnola Pass?
How far is Ashnola Pass from Sedro-Woolley?
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.