Located in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, Akutan Hot Springs is a hot spring. The nearest town is Akutan, about 7.3 km (4.5 mi) away (Akutan Hot Springs lies WNW of town).
Akutan Hot Springs is a system of several dozen thermal springs and a geyser in the Akutan geothermal area, Akutan Island, Alaska.From the Wikipedia article “Akutan Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Akutan Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 46° (NE) at the June solstice and 131° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 315° (NW) in June to 229° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 59° in summer but only 12° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:06 AM | 89° E | 9:17 PM | 271° W | 36° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 46° NE | 11:41 PM | 315° NW | 59° | 17h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:50 AM | 89° E | 9:04 PM | 272° W | 36° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:22 AM | 131° SE | 5:43 PM | 229° SW | 12° | 7h 20m |
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
Steam is most visible on cold mornings; backlight from a low sun makes rising steam glow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:34 AM | 10:15 AM | 11:19 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:54 PM | 7h 57m |
| February | 8:47 AM | 9:24 AM | 10:16 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:50 PM | 9h 48m |
| March | 8:43 AM | 9:19 AM | 10:06 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:43 PM | 11h 49m |
| April | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:50 AM | 9:18 PM | 10:06 PM | 10:44 PM | 14h 03m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:54 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:01 PM | 11:47 PM | 16h 01m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:30 AM | 10:40 PM | 11:39 PM | 12:34 AM | 17h 09m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 AM | 10:33 PM | 11:29 PM | 12:20 AM | 16h 39m |
| August | 7:01 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:32 AM | 9:46 PM | 10:36 PM | 11:16 PM | 14h 53m |
| September | 8:02 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:24 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:57 PM | 12h 44m |
| October | 8:57 AM | 9:32 AM | 10:22 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:43 PM | 10h 35m |
| November | 8:53 AM | 9:33 AM | 10:32 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:45 PM | 8h 32m |
| December | 9:34 AM | 10:18 AM | 11:28 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:25 PM | 7h 23m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 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 October as the clearest month (about 88% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (93%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 59 | 58 | 52 | 49 | 45 |
| Low °F | 16 | 15 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 39 | 44 | 41 | 34 | 28 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
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 hot spring
- Condensation forms quickly on lenses; let gear acclimate and carry a cloth.
- Keep to boardwalks and marked paths — crusts around thermal features can be thin and the water dangerously hot.
- A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
- Respect bathers' privacy: ask before including people at soaking pools.
- Wind direction determines where steam drifts; shoot from the upwind side to see the pool.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Winter gives the most dramatic steam; some primitive springs are only accessible in summer.
Suggested gear: Circular polarizer, Lens cloth, Telephoto for distant pools. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Akutan Hot Springs, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Akutan Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Akutan Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Akutan Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Akutan Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Akutan Hot Springs?
How far is Akutan Hot Springs from Akutan?
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.