Goldbug Hot Springs — a hot spring in Lemhi County, Idaho — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Salmon, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Goldbug Hot Springs lies S of town).
Goldbug Hot Springs is a hot spring located in the Salmon-Challis National Forest about 20 miles south of Salmon, Idaho. The spring is along Warm Spring Creek and there are about six waterfall-fed pools. Goldbug is listed as having a temperature of 113 °F (45 °C), but the temperature of the pools will vary depending on the time of year. The pools have a sand/gravel bottom and are dammed by boulders. Due to the hike and remoteness of the trailhead, it is not usually crowded. Water from Goldbug Hot Springs flows into Warm Springs Creek, which flows into the Salmon River.From the Wikipedia article “Goldbug Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goldbug Hot Springs 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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 55° NE | 9:26 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:11 AM | 123° ESE | 4:58 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:32 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Goldbug Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:40 AM – 6:00 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:59 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:37 AM – 3:47 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:58 PM – 3:08 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:41 PM – 1:51 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:39 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:29 PM – 9:49 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 37% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 38 | 46 | 61 | 70 | 81 | 87 | 93 | 91 | 87 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -31 | -24 | -11 | -2 | 13 | 23 | 32 | 31 | 19 | -3 | -22 | -26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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.
- 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 Goldbug Hot Springs, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Williams Lake Campground13.5 km (8.4 mi)
- Williams Lake Campground13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Iron Lake Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Shoup Bridge Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Agency Creek Campground30 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goldbug Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Goldbug Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goldbug Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goldbug Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goldbug Hot Springs?
How far is Goldbug Hot Springs from Salmon?
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.