Located in Washoe County, Nevada, Moana Hot Springs is a hot spring at about 1,361 m (4,465 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.5 km (2.8 mi) SSE of Reno.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Moana Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:39 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Moana Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:46 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.53 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Respect bathers' privacy: ask before including people at soaking pools.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Moana Hot Springs, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Lake
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mount Rose (Nv) 22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Boca Spring25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Boyington Mill26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Boca Rest Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Lookout Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Moana Hot Springs?
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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.