Located in Inyo County, California, Keough Hot Springs is a hot spring. It sits roughly 12.3 km (7.6 mi) S of Bishop.
Keough Hot Springs is located in the Owens Valley of California, about seven miles south of the city of Bishop on US Highway 395.From the Wikipedia article “Keough Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Keough Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 59° ENE | 8:18 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 119° ESE | 4:40 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:42 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Keough Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 4:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:51 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:00 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:04 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Keough Hot Springs, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Canyon
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Pine Canyon14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Big Pine Creek Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Upper Sage Flat15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Four Jeffrey15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Table Mountain (Inyo)17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Keough Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Keough Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Keough Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Keough Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Keough Hot Springs?
How far is Keough Hot Springs from Bishop?
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.