Quinns Hot Springs — a hot spring in Sanders County, Montana at about 828 m (2,717 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Plains, about 16.1 km (10.0 mi) away (Quinns Hot Springs lies SSE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Quinns Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 53° NE | 9:40 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:24 AM | 125° SE | 4:52 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:12 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:51 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:50 PM | 9:38 PM | 10:18 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:11 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:40 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:24 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:13 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Quinns Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:07 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:10 AM – 3:40 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:37 AM – 2:37 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:11 AM – 1:31 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:55 PM – 11:35 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 4.5+ 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 (81%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 42 | 51 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 81 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -23 | -35 | -23 | 10 | 22 | 31 | 38 | 37 | 22 | -3 | -15 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
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 Quinns Hot Springs, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cascade Campground3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Thompson Peak Lookout Tower19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Sloway Campground (Mt)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Trout Creek Campground (Mt)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Quartz Flat Campground (Mt)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Quinns Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Quinns Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Quinns Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Quinns Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Quinns Hot Springs?
How far is Quinns Hot Springs from Plains?
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.