Marmot Pass — a mountain pass in Jefferson County, Washington at about 1,820 m (5,971 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sequim, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Marmot Pass lies S of town).
Marmot Pass, at 6,231 feet (1,899 m)-high, provides a trail corridor through the Buckhorn Wilderness in the Olympic Mountains of Washington state. The pass is situated near Buckhorn Mountain (6,870 feet), Iron Mountain (6,804 feet), and Boulder Ridge (6,852 feet). From Marmot Pass, one can see the tallest peaks in the mountain range, and look down at the Dungeness Valley, and Hood Canal. Furthermore, it's been said Seattle fireworks are sometimes visible from the pass on the 4th of July. The trail route to the pass is a 5.8-mile (9.3 km) trip for hikers, beginning at the rolling Big Quilcene River. En route to the pass, one travels through old growth forest to broad meadows, gaining about 3,500 feet (1,100 m) in the process but being rewarded by spacious vistas. Venturing above the pass onto a ridge leading to Buckhorn Mountain, one can get views beyond the Olympic Mountains,...From the Wikipedia article “Marmot Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marmot 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) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 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) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:23 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 | 7:57 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Marmot 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.19 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Marmot Pass, closest first.
Mountain PeakWilderness Area
National Forest
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Falls View Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi)
- Collins Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi)
- Deer Park Campground17.3 km (10.8 mi)
- Dungeness Forks Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi)
- Interrorem Cabin18.4 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marmot Pass?
What time is golden hour at Marmot Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marmot Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marmot Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marmot Pass?
How far is Marmot Pass from Sequim?
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.