Cofer Hot Spring is a hot spring in Mohave County, Arizona at about 632 m (2,073 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Bagdad, about 36 km (22 mi) away (Cofer Hot Spring lies WNW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cofer Hot Spring 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 61° ENE | 7:51 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:28 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Cofer Hot Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:26 AM – 5:16 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:29 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:36 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:31 PM – 2:01 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:56 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:08 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:24 PM – 8:04 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 16% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 84 | 84 | 95 | 100 | 108 | 118 | 117 | 115 | 112 | 104 | 92 | 80 |
| Low °F | 22 | 20 | 30 | 33 | 43 | 53 | 65 | 63 | 50 | 36 | 25 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 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
- Wind direction determines where steam drifts; shoot from the upwind side to see the pool.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cofer Hot Spring?
What time is golden hour at Cofer Hot Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cofer Hot Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cofer Hot Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cofer Hot Spring?
How far is Cofer Hot Spring from Bagdad?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.