Located in Johnson County, Wyoming, Powder River Pass is a mountain pass at about 2,945 m (9,662 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Buffalo, about 38 km (23 mi) away (Powder River Pass lies SW of town).
Powder River Pass (el. 9,666 ft or 2,946 m) is a mountain pass in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming traversed by U.S. Highway 16 (US 16). Also known as Muddy Pass, it is the highest point on US 16. It is between the towns of Buffalo and Ten Sleep.From the Wikipedia article “Powder River Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Powder River Pass 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 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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 56° NE | 8:56 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Powder River Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 40% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 39 | 42 | 58 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 90 | 82 | 73 | 57 | 42 |
| Low °F | -34 | -32 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 11 | -15 | -21 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Powder River Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sheep Mountain Fire Lookout7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Lost Cabin Campground10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Sitting Bull11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Doyle Creek Campground11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Lakeview Bighorn11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Powder River Pass?
What time is golden hour at Powder River Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Powder River Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Powder River Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Powder River Pass?
How far is Powder River Pass from Buffalo?
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.