Located in Pershing County, Nevada, Trego Hot Springs is a hot spring. The nearest town is Winnemucca, about 121 km (75 mi) away (Trego Hot Springs lies W of town).
Trego Hot Springs is located in the Black Rock Desert at the location of Trego, Nevada, a former station on the Western Pacific Railroad. The name "Trego" dates from the 1910s, just after the railroad was built. Previously, the springs had names like Hot Springs, Kyles Hot Springs (1864), Butte Spring, and Butte Hot Spring. Today, Trego is known for its hot springs, which is a long ditch with a soft mud bottom. The springs are at the north end, near the railroad tracks, and the water flows south. Garside reports that the springs have a temperature of 187F. Unlike nearby Frog Springs at the Garrett Ranch, Trego is on public land.From the Wikipedia article “Trego Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trego Hot Springs 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 | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:33 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 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 Trego Hot Springs, 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
- 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 Trego Hot Springs, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trego Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Trego Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trego Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trego Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trego Hot Springs?
How far is Trego Hot Springs from Winnemucca?
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.