Hole-in-the-Wall is a mountain pass in Johnson County, Wyoming. The nearest town is Casper, about 86 km (54 mi) away (Hole-in-the-Wall lies NNW of town).
Hole-in-the-Wall is a remote pass in the Big Horn Mountains of Johnson County, Wyoming. In the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang and Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang met at the log cabin, which is now preserved at the Old Trail Town museum in Cody, Wyoming.From the Wikipedia article “Hole-in-the-Wall (Wyoming)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hole-in-the-Wall the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:34 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Hole-in-the-Wall, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:39 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 76 | 84 | 94 | 102 | 103 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 72 | 59 |
| Low °F | -8 | -13 | -5 | 12 | 19 | 34 | 42 | 40 | 26 | 1 | -2 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hole-in-the-Wall?
What time is golden hour at Hole-in-the-Wall?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hole-in-the-Wall?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hole-in-the-Wall?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hole-in-the-Wall?
How far is Hole-in-the-Wall from Casper?
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.