Castle Hot Springs is a hot spring in Yavapai County, Arizona at about 644 m (2,113 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) WSW of Black Canyon City.
Castle Hot Springs is a restored historic resort in Morristown, Arizona. The original property opened in 1896 and the historic hotel claims the title of state's first wellness resort. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is located within the Hieroglyphic Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Hot Springs (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:34 AM | 90° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 61° ENE | 7:45 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 118° ESE | 5:25 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 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
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Castle Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:27 PM – 3:27 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:23 PM – 2:03 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:49 PM – 11:59 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:02 PM – 10:02 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 20.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 85 | 87 | 98 | 105 | 112 | 121 | 120 | 117 | 115 | 106 | 97 | 85 |
| Low °F | 22 | 23 | 33 | 38 | 48 | 60 | 68 | 67 | 57 | 41 | 29 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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 Castle Hot Springs, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Ghost TownScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Castle Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Hot Springs?
How far is Castle Hot Springs from Black Canyon City?
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.