Washington pass is a mountain pass in Chelan County, Washington at about 1,662 m (5,453 ft) above sea level. It is part of Okanogan National Forest. The nearest town is Arlington, about 114 km (71 mi) away (Washington pass lies ENE of town).
Washington Pass (el. 5477 ft./1669 m.) and Rainy Pass (el. 4875 ft./1486 m.) are two mountain passes on State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) in the North Cascades mountains of Washington state. Rainy Pass is about 4 miles to the west of Washington Pass. The passes are typically closed between November and April due to heavy snowfall. The north–south Pacific Crest Trail crosses east-west Highway 20 at Rainy Pass. The Washington Pass Overlook Trail, designated a National Recreation Trail in 1978, runs a short 0.2 miles (0.32 km) from the pass to an overlook with views of Liberty Bell Mountain and the highway 700 feet (210 m) below.From the Wikipedia article “Washington Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Washington 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) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:10 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 45m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:49 PM | 16h 06m |
| July | 4:37 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 44m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 20m |
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 Washington 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 | 3:52 AM – 4:12 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:47 AM – 2:47 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:41 AM – 1:21 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:54 PM – 12:34 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 10:37 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 ≈ 21.8 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 45 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 85 | 76 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -15 | -1 | 15 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 22 | 2 | -20 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
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
- 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 Washington pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Washington pass?
What time is golden hour at Washington pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Washington pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Washington pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Washington pass?
How far is Washington pass from Arlington?
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.