Boat Box Hot Spring — a hot spring in Custer County, Idaho — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Challis, about 60 km (37 mi) away (Boat Box Hot Spring lies WSW of town).
Boat Box Hot Spring, also known as Elkhorn Hot Spring, is a hot spring located along the Salmon River in the Sawtooth National Forest on Idaho State Highway 75, about 3 miles away from the town of Stanley, Idaho. The hot spring is composed of a single metal tub that is fed through a plastic tube built into the riverbank. The spring is named for the historical wooden tub that was used before it was destroyed by annual spring flooding. The average temperature of Boat Box Hot Spring is usually around 110 °F (43.33 °C). The water is usually not clear, as algae inhabit its waters.From the Wikipedia article “Boat Box Hot Spring”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boat Box Hot Spring the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 55° NE | 9:28 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:13 AM | 123° ESE | 5:04 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 8:58 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 8h 53m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Boat Box Hot Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:33 AM – 6:13 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:36 AM – 4:06 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:53 PM – 3:23 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:38 PM – 2:08 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:39 PM – 12:09 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:32 PM – 10:02 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 6.0+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and March 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 | 36 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 82 | 89 | 95 | 91 | 88 | 79 | 63 | 44 |
| Low °F | -28 | -22 | -12 | -5 | 15 | 22 | 31 | 31 | 20 | -3 | -23 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
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.
- Keep to boardwalks and marked paths — crusts around thermal features can be thin and the water dangerously hot.
- 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 Boat Box Hot Spring, closest first.
Hot Spring
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Salmon River Campground1.4 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Casino Creek2.8 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Riverside Campground (Id)3.8 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Mormon Bend Campground4.0 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Sunny Gulch Campground7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boat Box Hot Spring?
What time is golden hour at Boat Box Hot Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boat Box Hot Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boat Box Hot Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boat Box Hot Spring?
How far is Boat Box Hot Spring from Challis?
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.