Located in Humboldt County, Nevada, Fly Geyser is a hot spring. It sits roughly 122 km (76 mi) ENE of Susanville.
Fly Geyser, also known as Fly Ranch Geyser, is a small geothermal geyser located on private land in Washoe County, Nevada, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Gerlach. Fly Geyser is located near the edge of Fly Reservoir in the Hualapai Geothermal Flats and is approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) high by 12 feet (3.7 m) wide, counting the mound on which it sits. In June 2016, the non-profit Burning Man Project purchased the 3,800-acre (1,500 ha) Fly Ranch, including the geyser, for $6.5 million. The Burning Man Project began offering limited public access to the property in May 2018. The geyser contains thermophilic bacteria and archaea, which flourish in moist, hot environments, resulting in multiple hues of green and red, coloring the rocks.From the Wikipedia article “Fly Geyser”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fly Geyser the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:33 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Fly Geyser, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:48 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 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 8.0+ 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 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 65 | 67 | 77 | 85 | 95 | 101 | 108 | 102 | 101 | 89 | 72 | 57 |
| Low °F | 2 | 10 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 31 | 46 | 47 | 32 | 20 | 13 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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 Fly Geyser, closest first.
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Wilderness AreaHot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fly Geyser?
What time is golden hour at Fly Geyser?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fly Geyser?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fly Geyser?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fly Geyser?
How far is Fly Geyser from Susanville?
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.