Satus Pass is a mountain pass in Klickitat County, Washington at about 954 m (3,130 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) NE of Goldendale.
Satus Pass (el. 3107 ft./947 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Cascade Range in the state of Washington. The pass connects Goldendale and the Klickitat Valley to the south with the Yakama Indian Reservation and Yakima Valley to the north. The Simcoe Mountains lie to the west of Satus Pass, and Bickleton Ridge in the Horse Heaven Hills to the east. It is traversed by U.S. Highway 97.From the Wikipedia article “Satus Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Satus Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 54° NE | 8:58 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 124° SE | 4:21 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 38m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 44m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 40m |
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 Satus Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:19 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:20 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:13 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 2:29 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 1:09 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:11 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 63 | 65 | 80 | 86 | 95 | 100 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 88 | 69 | 61 |
| Low °F | -4 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 30 | 37 | 44 | 44 | 34 | 19 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Satus Pass, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Satus Pass?
What time is golden hour at Satus Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Satus Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Satus Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Satus Pass?
How far is Satus Pass from Goldendale?
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.