Iron Mountain Hot Springs is a hot spring in Garfield County, Colorado. The nearest town is Glenwood Springs, about 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away (Iron Mountain Hot Springs lies WNW of town).
The Iron Mountain Hot Springs is a therapeutic, natural hot springs resort located on the banks of the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.From the Wikipedia article “Iron Mountain Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Iron Mountain Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 58° ENE | 8:41 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Iron Mountain Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.9 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 September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 65 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 90 | 89 | 76 | 64 | 48 |
| Low °F | -25 | -22 | -8 | 7 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 5 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Iron Mountain Hot Springs, closest first.
Hot Spring
Cave
Natural Arch
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Iron Mountain Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Iron Mountain Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Iron Mountain Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Iron Mountain Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Iron Mountain Hot Springs?
How far is Iron Mountain Hot Springs from Glenwood Springs?
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.