Located in Jefferson County, Washington, Lost Pass is a mountain pass at about 1,697 m (5,568 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Olympic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 33 km (21 mi) S of Port Angeles East.
Lost Pass is a mountain pass crossed by hiking trail in the Olympic Mountains of the state of Washington. It is located on a high ridgeline that separates headwaters of the Dosewallips River from those of the Lost River, just to the west of Lost Peak in the Olympic National Park.From the Wikipedia article “Lost Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lost 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 308° (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) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 53° NE | 9:16 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:24 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Lost Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:48 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:23 AM – 2:03 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 11:02 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 ≈ 21.39 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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
- 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.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lost Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
GlacierMountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Glacier
Mountain PeakGlacier
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Deer Park Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi)
- Dungeness Forks Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Collins Campground28 km (17 mi)
- Louella Cabin28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Hamma Hamma Campground29 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lost Pass?
What time is golden hour at Lost Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lost Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lost Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lost Pass?
How far is Lost Pass from Port Angeles East?
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.