Located in Okanogan County, Washington, Wauconda Pass is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Republic, about 18.4 km (11.4 mi) away (Wauconda Pass lies WNW of town).
Wauconda Pass (el. 4310 ft./1314 m.) is a high mountain pass in the state of Washington, east of the town of Wauconda. It is traversed by State Route 20.From the Wikipedia article “Wauconda Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wauconda 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) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:54 AM | 52° NE | 9:03 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 126° SE | 4:03 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 43m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:37 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:11 AM | 4:53 AM | 5:43 AM | 8:11 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:44 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:29 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 46m |
| August | 5:15 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:06 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:38 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Wauconda Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | 3:46 AM – 3:56 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 2:33 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:52 PM – 12:32 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 21.92 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
- 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 Wauconda Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bonaparte Lake Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Lost Lake Group Unit15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Swan Lake Kitchen25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wauconda Pass?
What time is golden hour at Wauconda Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wauconda Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wauconda Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wauconda Pass?
How far is Wauconda Pass from Republic?
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.