Loup Loup Pass is a mountain pass in Okanogan County, Washington. It is part of Okanogan National Forest. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) W of Okanogan.
Loup Loup Pass (el. 4020 ft./1225 m.) is a mountain pass in the Cascades in the state of Washington. It is located east of the Methow Valley of Okanogan County, between the towns of Twisp and Okanogan on State Route 20. A small ski area is located at the pass.From the Wikipedia article “Loup Loup Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Loup Loup 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 308° (NW) in June to 235° (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) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:59 AM | 52° NE | 9:05 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 126° SE | 4:08 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 19m |
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 | 7:47 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:43 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:17 AM | 4:58 AM | 5:48 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:45 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 4:35 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:12 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:43 PM | 8h 21m |
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 Loup Loup Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:49 AM – 4:09 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:44 AM – 2:44 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:38 AM – 1:18 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:51 PM – 12:31 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 10:34 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.82 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 34% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 42 | 52 | 61 | 76 | 86 | 96 | 97 | 97 | 90 | 79 | 56 | 40 |
| Low °F | -24 | -14 | -7 | 13 | 24 | 31 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 11 | -13 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Loup Loup Pass, closest first.
Ghost Town
Waterfall
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Loup Loup Pass?
What time is golden hour at Loup Loup Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Loup Loup Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Loup Loup Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Loup Loup Pass?
How far is Loup Loup Pass from Okanogan?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.