Penny Hot Springs — a hot spring in Gunnison County, Colorado — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ouray, about 44 km (28 mi) away (Penny Hot Springs lies ENE of town).
Penny Hot Springs is a geothermal spring located near the historic mining town of Redstone, Colorado.From the Wikipedia article “Penny Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Penny Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:36 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:53 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Penny Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 53 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 87 | 92 | 93 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 64 | 51 |
| Low °F | -21 | -15 | -8 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 22 | 1 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
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 Penny Hot Springs, closest first.
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Ghost TownWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Gate Campground4.5 km (2.8 mi)
- Red Bridge Campground11.9 km (7.4 mi)
- Alpine Ranger Station13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Deer Lakes (Co)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Jackson Guard Station26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Penny Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Penny Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Penny Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Penny Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Penny Hot Springs?
How far is Penny Hot Springs from Ouray?
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.