Sherman Pass is a mountain pass in Ferry County, Washington at about 1,689 m (5,541 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Republic, about 19.5 km (12.1 mi) away (Sherman Pass lies ESE of town).
Sherman Pass (el. 5575 ft./1699 m.) is a high mountain pass that crosses the Kettle River Range in the state of Washington. It is the highest pass in the state maintained all year. The pass is located on the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway which traverses the Colville National Forest. The pass is surrounded by the aftermath of the 1988 White Mountain Fire. The pass was named after American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman who traveled across the pass in 1883.From the Wikipedia article “Sherman Pass (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sherman 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 234° (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) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:52 AM | 52° NE | 9:01 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 126° SE | 4:01 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 17m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:36 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:10 AM | 4:52 AM | 5:41 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:41 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 4:28 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:13 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:05 PM | 3:59 PM | 4:36 PM | 8h 19m |
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 Sherman 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 3:43 AM – 4:03 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:38 AM – 2:38 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:32 AM – 1:12 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 12:25 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 10:28 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 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 January 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 | 41 | 51 | 62 | 75 | 87 | 96 | 99 | 99 | 92 | 80 | 56 | 41 |
| Low °F | -28 | -15 | -12 | 12 | 24 | 30 | 38 | 38 | 26 | 10 | -21 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Sherman Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Snow Peak Cabin3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Beth Lake Campground13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Haag Cove Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Kettle Falls Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Kettle Falls Locust Grove Group Site27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sherman Pass?
What time is golden hour at Sherman Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sherman Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sherman Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sherman Pass?
How far is Sherman Pass from Republic?
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.