Lava Hot Springs
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42.6194° N112.0142° WBortle 2Boise

Lava Hot Springs Photography Guide

Hot Spring in Bannock County, Idaho

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 238°–304°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: fishermansdaughter · CC BY 2.0 · source

Located in Bannock County, Idaho, Lava Hot Springs is a hot spring. It sits roughly 34 km (21 mi) W of Soda Springs.

Lava Hot Springs are a system of geothermal mineral springs in Bannock County, Idaho, United States, in the area of the city named after them, Lava Hot Springs.From the Wikipedia article “Lava Hot Springs (thermal mineral springs)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Soda Springs
34 km (21 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
35% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.2 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:09 PM
sunset 6:47 PM

Light at Lava Hot Springs

Live
Sunrise
7:48 AM
Sunset
6:39 PM
Golden hour AM
7:30 AM – 8:26 AM
Golden hour PM
6:00 PM – 6:57 PM
Blue hour AM
7:19 AM – 7:30 AM
Blue hour PM
6:57 PM – 7:08 PM
Full darkness
8:13 PM – 6:15 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:02 PM / 1:43 AM
Day length
10h 52m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Boise. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Lava Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:32 AM90° E7:40 PM271° W47°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:51 AM57° ENE9:10 PM304° NW71°15h 19m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:16 AM89° E7:27 PM271° W48°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:56 AM122° ESE4:58 PM238° WSW24°9h 03m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:25 AM7:56 AM8:40 AM4:36 PM5:20 PM5:51 PM9h 24m
February6:57 AM7:26 AM8:05 AM5:21 PM6:00 PM6:29 PM10h 34m
March7:13 AM7:41 AM8:18 AM6:57 PM7:35 PM8:03 PM11h 54m
April6:18 AM6:47 AM7:25 AM7:32 PM8:10 PM8:39 PM13h 23m
May5:34 AM6:07 AM6:47 AM8:03 PM8:44 PM9:16 PM14h 37m
June5:16 AM5:51 AM6:33 AM8:25 PM9:08 PM9:43 PM15h 18m
July5:31 AM6:04 AM6:46 AM8:23 PM9:05 PM9:39 PM15h 01m
August6:05 AM6:36 AM7:14 AM7:53 PM8:31 PM9:02 PM13h 56m
September6:40 AM7:09 AM7:46 AM7:02 PM7:40 PM8:08 PM12h 31m
October7:13 AM7:42 AM8:20 AM6:09 PM6:47 PM7:16 PM11h 05m
November6:50 AM7:20 AM8:03 AM4:25 PM5:07 PM5:37 PM9h 46m
December7:20 AM7:52 AM8:38 AM4:10 PM4:56 PM5:28 PM9h 04m

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 Lava Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
March5:09 AM – 5:59 AM0.815°SSE → SSE
April3:02 AM – 5:02 AM2.018°SE → S
May1:12 AM – 4:02 AM2.819°SSE → S
June11:23 PM – 3:33 AM4.219°SSE → SSW
July11:11 PM – 2:11 AM3.019°S → SSW
August10:19 PM – 12:09 AM1.818°S → SSW
September9:16 PM – 10:06 PM0.815°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
DecemberBelow 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.8 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F5254728293971029994846654
Low °F-25-14-41520303939257-18-23
Precip. (in)1.81.81.82.01.91.20.60.81.41.41.62.0

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

  • 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.
  • A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
  • Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.

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 Lava Hot Springs, closest first.

Ghost Town
Dempsey1.7 km away · Bannock County
Volcano
Alexander Crater22 km away · Caribou County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Lava Hot Springs?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Winter gives the most dramatic steam; some primitive springs are only accessible in summer.
What time is golden hour at Lava Hot Springs?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:09 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:47 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:20 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Lava Hot Springs?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 57° in June to 122° in December; sunset ranges from 304° to 238°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Lava Hot Springs?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lava Hot Springs?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Lava Hot Springs from Soda Springs?
About 34 km (21 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.