Poncha Hot Springs — a hot spring in Chaffee County, Colorado at about 2,442 m (8,012 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Salida, about 8.1 km (5.0 mi) away (Poncha Hot Springs lies WSW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Poncha 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:47 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Poncha 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:11 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 44 | 48 | 63 | 68 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 83 | 82 | 72 | 60 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -25 | -13 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 35 | 34 | 19 | -3 | -21 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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
- 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 Poncha Hot Springs, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ohaver Lake9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Angel Of Shavano Group15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Angel Of Shavano15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Monarch Park22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Brewery Creek Guard Station25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Poncha Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Poncha Hot Springs?
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How far is Poncha Hot Springs from Salida?
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.