Located in King County, Washington, Deception Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,365 m (4,478 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) W of Leavenworth.
Deception Pass is a 4,475 feet (1,364 m) mountain pass in Washington state's central Cascade Range. It is located along the Cascade crest on the boundary line between King County to the west and Kittitas County to the east. It separates the Snohomish River watershed via Deception Creek on its west side and the Yakima River watershed via Hyas Lake and the Cle Elum River on its east side. Due to its location, it is also on the boundary between the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie and the Okanogan–Wenatchee national forests and is included in the latter's Alpine Lakes Wilderness area. The pass is located between Stevens Pass to the north and Snoqualmie Pass to the south. Deception Pass is accessed via the Pacific Crest Trail, as well as foot trails from Deception Creek and Tucquala Meadows.From the Wikipedia article “Deception Pass (King County, Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Deception 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) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:16 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 25m |
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 | 7:49 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:55 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 27m |
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 Deception Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:19 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:38 AM – 2:58 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:09 AM – 1:59 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:40 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 10:52 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 4.5+ 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%). 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Deception Pass, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Lake
Lake
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chatter Creek Group Site19.2 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Beckler River Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Salmon La Sac21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Cayuse Horse Camp22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Miller River Group Camp22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Deception Pass?
What time is golden hour at Deception Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Deception Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Deception Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Deception Pass?
How far is Deception Pass from Leavenworth?
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.