Hot Springs — a hot spring in Elmore County, Idaho at about 1,086 m (3,563 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mountain Home, about 14.3 km (8.9 mi) away (Hot Springs lies E of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 56° NE | 9:26 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:12 AM | 122° ESE | 5:10 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 8:56 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:24 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 3:34 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 2:22 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 12:16 AM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:31 PM – 10:11 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 26% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 49 | 54 | 69 | 81 | 91 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 67 | 51 |
| Low °F | -12 | -4 | 1 | 11 | 22 | 30 | 40 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -9 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Hot Springs, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hot Springs?
How far is Hot Springs from Mountain Home?
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.