Two Ocean Pass is a mountain pass in Teton County, Wyoming at about 2,478 m (8,130 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Jackson, about 78 km (49 mi) away (Two Ocean Pass lies NE of town).
Two Ocean Pass is a mountain pass on North America's Continental Divide, in the Teton Wilderness, which is part of Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. The pass is notable for Parting of the Waters, where one stream, North Two Ocean Creek, splits into two distributaries, Pacific Creek and Atlantic Creek, at Parting of the Waters National Natural Landmark. These two creeks ultimately flow into their respective oceans. Atlantic Creek water eventually flows into the Yellowstone River and empties into the Gulf of Mexico via the Missouri River and Mississippi River. Pacific Creek water eventually flows into the Snake River and empties into the Pacific via the Columbia River.From the Wikipedia article “Two Ocean Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Two Ocean 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° NE | 9:08 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 123° ESE | 4:46 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 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 Two Ocean Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:50 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 3:11 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:47 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.94 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 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 72 | 53 | 33 |
| Low °F | -32 | -34 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 18 | -9 | -23 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Two Ocean Pass, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Two Ocean Pass?
What time is golden hour at Two Ocean Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Two Ocean Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Two Ocean Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Two Ocean Pass?
How far is Two Ocean Pass from Jackson?
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.