Located in Yakima County, Washington, Chinook Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,656 m (5,433 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 50 km (31 mi) ESE of Crocker.
Chinook Pass (elevation 5430 ft./1656 m.) is a pass through the Cascade Range in the state of Washington. The pass is located on the crest of the Cascade Range, along a ridge between Yakima Peak to the northwest of the pass, and Naches Peak to the southeast. The boundary between Pierce County, west of the pass, and Yakima County to the east, coincides with the ridge. Terrain immediately west of the pass is in the Cowlitz River watershed. Terrain on the east side drains to the Yakima River watershed. The pass provides the east entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, and carries State Route 410 between the towns of Enumclaw and Naches. Because of the high elevation, Chinook Pass is usually closed in November due to very heavy snow and significant avalanche danger. It usually opens in mid-May and is not uncommon to have a snow depth at the summit of up to 15 feet.From the Wikipedia article “Chinook Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chinook Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 54° NE | 9:05 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 125° SE | 4:21 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Chinook Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:26 AM – 4:16 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:32 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:31 PM – 1:11 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:09 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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 ≈ 21.43 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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
- 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.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chinook Pass, closest first.
Natural Arch
Lake
Mountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White River Campground10.2 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground (Washington)11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Silver Springs Campground13.6 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Bumping Lake Campground16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chinook Pass?
What time is golden hour at Chinook Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chinook Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chinook Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chinook Pass?
How far is Chinook Pass from Crocker?
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.