Sleeping Child Hot Springs — a hot spring in Ravalli County, Montana at about 1,415 m (4,642 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hamilton, about 19.6 km (12.2 mi) away (Sleeping Child Hot Springs lies SE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sleeping Child Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 54° NE | 9:32 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 124° SE | 4:54 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:08 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 39m |
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 Sleeping Child Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:52 AM – 6:02 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:46 AM – 3:46 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:12 AM – 3:02 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:42 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:32 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 65 | 71 | 81 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 89 | 80 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -26 | -36 | -25 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 20 | -11 | -14 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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 Sleeping Child Hot Springs, closest first.
Fire Lookout
National Forest
Waterfall
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gird Point13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Three Sisters Group Site (Mt)18.1 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Lake Como Campground18.3 km (11.4 mi)
- Woods Cabin19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Three Frogs Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sleeping Child Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Sleeping Child Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sleeping Child Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sleeping Child Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sleeping Child Hot Springs?
How far is Sleeping Child Hot Springs from Hamilton?
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.