Located in Monterey County, California, Tassajara Hot Springs is a hot spring. The nearest town is Big Sur, about 23 km (15 mi) away (Tassajara Hot Springs lies E of town).
Tassajara Hot Springs is a collection of natural hot springs within the Ventana Wilderness area of the Santa Lucia Range and Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County, California. The springs have been the site of various resorts since 1868. A horse trail was in use until in 1886, when a stagecoach road was constructed over Chews Ridge to the springs. Monterey County designated the road to the resort as a public highway in June, 1870. Charles Quilty bought the resort in 1886. He had a sandstone hotel built. He and members of his family owned the springs until 1945. The new owners refurbished the hotel but it burned in a fire in 1949. The resort changed hands several times over the next three decades. One owner planned to add a helicopter service, but he was killed in an airplane crash. Since 1967, the hot springs have been the site of a Zen Buddhist monastery which is open to...From the Wikipedia article “Tassajara Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tassajara Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:28 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Tassajara Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:17 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.41 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Tassajara Hot Springs, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
State Park
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Hot Spring
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Arroyo Seco Group Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi)
- Arroyo Seco6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- China Camp Campground7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- White Oaks Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Escondido Campground11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tassajara Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Tassajara Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tassajara Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tassajara Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tassajara Hot Springs?
How far is Tassajara Hot Springs from Big Sur?
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.