Indian Valley Hot Springs — a hot spring in Plumas County, California at about 1,082 m (3,550 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.4 km (0.9 mi) E of Greenville.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Indian Valley Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 20m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Indian Valley Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 59 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 89 | 97 | 106 | 100 | 98 | 89 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -8 | -3 | 10 | 16 | 21 | 28 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 0 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.8 |
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 Indian Valley Hot Springs, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Greenville Campground2.6 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Spanish Creek Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Hallsted18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Snake Lake Campground And Equestrian Camp19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Almanor21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Indian Valley Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Indian Valley Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Indian Valley Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Indian Valley Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Indian Valley Hot Springs?
How far is Indian Valley Hot Springs from Greenville?
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.