Hot Well Dunes is a hot spring in Graham County, Arizona. The nearest town is Swift Trail Junction, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Hot Well Dunes lies SE of town).
Hot Well Dunes is a hot spring in the San Simeon Valley of Arizona, located on BLM land southeast of the town of Safford.From the Wikipedia article “Hot Well Dunes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hot Well Dunes 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:22 AM | 90° E | 6:30 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 61° ENE | 7:29 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:07 AM | 89° E | 6:16 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 118° ESE | 5:17 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 01m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 5:38 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:35 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 02m |
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 Hot Well Dunes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:54 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:09 PM – 3:29 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:05 PM – 1:55 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:33 PM – 11:53 PM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:08 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 96 | 106 | 109 | 111 | 106 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 21 | 29 | 35 | 48 | 62 | 61 | 46 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hot Well Dunes?
What time is golden hour at Hot Well Dunes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hot Well Dunes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hot Well Dunes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hot Well Dunes?
How far is Hot Well Dunes from Swift Trail Junction?
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.