Teton Pass — a mountain pass in Teton County, Wyoming at about 2,571 m (8,435 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Wilson, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) away (Teton Pass lies W of town).
Teton Pass is a high mountain pass in the western United States, located at the southern end of the Teton Range in western Wyoming, between Wilson and Victor, Idaho. At an elevation of 8,431 feet (2,570 m) above sea level, the pass provides access from the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming to the Teton Valley of eastern Idaho, including the access route to Grand Targhee Resort through Driggs, Idaho. To the south of the pass lies the Snake River Range. The Teton Pass highway in Wyoming is designated as State Highway 22 and the pass is approximately eleven miles (18 km) out of Jackson. The maximum grade on the road is 10%, and several avalanche slide paths traverse the road along its length, including Glory Bowl slide area. During the winter months, the road is often closed in the early mornings for avalanche control by the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The area is popular for...From the Wikipedia article “Teton Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Teton 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 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) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 56° NE | 9:09 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 123° ESE | 4:51 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:22 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 Teton Pass, 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 3:19 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:59 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 9:54 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.81 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 33 | 33 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 89 | 83 | 74 | 57 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -31 | -23 | -10 | 5 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 18 | -3 | -19 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Teton Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
Rock Formation
National Wildlife RefugeMountain Pass
Canyon
Canyon
Mountain Peak
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trail Creek8.3 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Mike Harris11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Pine Creek Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Big Elk23 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Gros Ventre Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Teton Pass?
What time is golden hour at Teton Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Teton Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Teton Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Teton Pass?
How far is Teton Pass from Wilson?
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.