Blewett Pass — a mountain pass in Chelan County, Washington at about 1,257 m (4,124 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) SW of West Wenatchee.
Blewett Pass (), at an elevation of 4,124 feet (1,257 m), is a mountain pass in the Wenatchee Mountains (an eastward extension of the Cascades) of Washington state that is crossed by U.S. Route 97 (US 97). Named for Edward Blewett, a Seattle mining promoter of the 1880s, it lies on the route of the historical Yellowstone Trail. Unlike the many well known passes that lie on the spine of the Cascades, Blewett Pass lies on the divide between the Wenatchee River to the north and the Yakima River to the south. The highway over the pass connects Interstate 90 (I-90) between Seattle and Ellensburg, Washington with US 2 between Monroe and Wenatchee. The route from Seattle to Wenatchee over Snoqualmie Pass and Blewett Pass is a reasonable alternative to the more northerly route over Stevens Pass.From the Wikipedia article “Blewett Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blewett Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 53° NE | 9:03 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 125° SE | 4:15 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 28m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Blewett Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 4:15 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:33 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:00 AM – 2:00 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:34 PM – 12:54 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 10:58 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.49 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 July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). July 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 | 51 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 95 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 78 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -11 | -4 | -1 | 16 | 22 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 28 | 12 | -6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
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 Blewett Pass, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
State Park
State Park
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mineral Springs Group10.4 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Teanaway Guard Station21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Eightmile Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Eightmile Group Site28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Bridge Creek Group Site30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blewett Pass?
What time is golden hour at Blewett Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blewett Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blewett Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blewett Pass?
How far is Blewett Pass from West Wenatchee?
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.