Baranof Warm Springs is a hot spring in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Sitka, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Baranof Warm Springs lies E of town).
Baranof Warm Springs are a series of ten geothermal mineral springs located in the small community of Baranof Warm Springs 20 miles east of Sitka, Alaska on Baranof Island. The springs are surrounded by the Tongass National Forest. Access to the hot springs is by boat only, no road or air service is available to Baranof Island. There is a free public bathhouse on the island in addition to primitive undeveloped hot springs.From the Wikipedia article “Baranof Warm Springs (thermal mineral springs)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Baranof Warm Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 41° (NE) at the June solstice and 135° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 319° (NW) in June to 225° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 9° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 33° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:05 AM | 41° NE | 9:59 PM | 319° NW | 56° | 17h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 88° E | 7:00 PM | 272° W | 33° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:38 AM | 135° SE | 3:19 PM | 225° SW | 9° | 6h 41m |
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 | 7:41 AM | 8:28 AM | 9:43 AM | 2:36 PM | 3:51 PM | 4:38 PM | 7h 24m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:03 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 32m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:12 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 5:10 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 17m |
| May | 3:48 AM | 4:41 AM | 5:40 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:12 PM | 10:05 PM | 16h 31m |
| June | 2:56 AM | 4:05 AM | 5:12 AM | 8:49 PM | 9:57 PM | 11:05 PM | 17h 52m |
| July | 3:28 AM | 4:28 AM | 5:31 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:44 PM | 10:44 PM | 17h 17m |
| August | 4:42 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 15m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 49m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 25m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:49 AM | 2:40 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 8h 05m |
| December | 7:44 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:59 AM | 1:52 PM | 3:18 PM | 4:07 PM | 6h 44m |
Local time (America/Sitka), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 48 | 45 | 60 | 68 | 73 | 83 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 51 | 48 |
| Low °F | -3 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 28 | 38 | 43 | 44 | 37 | 21 | 2 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 9.2 |
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 Baranof Warm Springs, closest first.
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallLighthouseWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Baranof Warm Springs?
What time is golden hour at Baranof Warm Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Baranof Warm Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Baranof Warm Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Baranof Warm Springs?
How far is Baranof Warm Springs from Sitka?
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.