Dead Indian Pass is a mountain pass in Park County, Wyoming at about 2,400 m (7,874 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Cody, about 36 km (22 mi) away (Dead Indian Pass lies NW of town).
Dead Indian Pass (8,071 feet (2,460 m)) is a mountain pass on Wyoming Highway 296. The pass is located on Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and crosses the Absaroka Range. Dead Indian Creek runs at the base of the pass. Near the pass are also Dead Indian Gulch, Dead Indian Mountain, and Dead Indian Mesa.From the Wikipedia article “Dead Indian Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dead Indian Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 55° NE | 9:08 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 49m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Dead Indian Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:37 PM – 2:57 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:40 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:41 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 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 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 44% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 44 | 44 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 88 | 95 | 92 | 88 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -14 | -1 | 7 | 24 | 35 | 32 | 17 | -9 | -18 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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 Dead Indian Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hogan And Luce Campground11.2 km (7.0 mi)
- Sunlight Rangers Cabin13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Island Lake Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Hunter Peak26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dead Indian Pass?
What time is golden hour at Dead Indian Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dead Indian Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dead Indian Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dead Indian Pass?
How far is Dead Indian Pass from Cody?
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.