South Pass — a mountain pass in Fremont County, Wyoming at about 2,304 m (7,559 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 54 km (33 mi) SSW of Lander. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
South Pass (elevation 7,412 ft (2,259 m) and 7,550 ft (2,300 m)) is a route across the Continental Divide, in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. It lies in a broad high region, 35 miles (56 km) wide, between the nearly 14,000 ft (4,300 m) Wind River Range to the north and the over 8,500 ft (2,600 m) Oregon Buttes and arid, saline near-impassable Great Divide Basin to the south. The Pass lies in southwestern Fremont County, approximately 35 miles (56 km) SSW of Lander. Though it approaches a mile and a half high, South Pass is the lowest point on the Continental Divide between the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains. The passes furnish a natural crossing point of the Rockies. The historic pass became the route for emigrants on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails to the West during the 19th century. It was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961.From the Wikipedia article “South Pass (Wyoming)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At South Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 57° ENE | 8:57 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 122° ESE | 4:47 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 06m |
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 South Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:48 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:56 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 53 | 55 | 66 | 76 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 94 | 90 | 77 | 63 | 48 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -7 | -1 | 15 | 26 | 37 | 35 | 19 | -3 | -10 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- 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 South Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sweetwater Bridge Campground19.9 km (12.4 mi)
- Atlantic City Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Atlantic City Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Big Atlantic Gulch Campground23 km (15 mi)
- Sweetwater Guard Station Campground25 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph South Pass?
What time is golden hour at South Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at South Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from South Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at South Pass?
How far is South Pass from Lander?
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.