Hot Springs is a ghost town in King County, Washington. The nearest town is Wilderness Rim, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Hot Springs lies SSE of town).
Hot Springs is a ghost town in King County, Washington, United States. Properly Green River Hot Springs, the town was first settled under the name Kendon by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1886. Hot Springs was at one time home to a large sanatorium built around the natural hot springs in the area, and by 1907–1908 had a population of 225 with two doctors. The sanatorium was reported to have been an impressive facility, having nice suites, bowling alleys and pool tables. A 1904 envelope has a return address, "The Kloeber, J. S. Kloeber, M.D. Green River Hot Springs, Wash.". The area was also home to Harvey Dean's mill (which gave the nearby town of Lester, Washington its original name). By 1913–14 the town's population had dropped to 65, with no businesses mentioned. Evidence points to the fact that sometime before 1913–14 the sanatorium had burned down. By 1918, the town had...From the Wikipedia article “Hot Springs, Washington”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:19 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 31m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 4:19 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:37 AM – 3:07 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:04 AM – 2:04 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:38 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 11:02 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.13 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). August 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 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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 ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Hot Springs, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Dalles Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Tinkham Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Silver Springs Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Denny Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- East Kachess Group Site26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hot Springs?
How far is Hot Springs from Wilderness Rim?
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.