Little Hot Spring — a hot spring in Modoc County, California at about 1,084 m (3,556 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 44 km (27 mi) NNE of Burney.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Hot Spring the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Little Hot Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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.
- 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 Little Hot Spring, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Volcano
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Hot Spring?
What time is golden hour at Little Hot Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Hot Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Hot Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Hot Spring?
How far is Little Hot Spring from Burney?
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.