Antelope Hot Springs is a hot spring in Lake County, Oregon at about 1,821 m (5,974 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 171 km (106 mi) ENE of Altamont.
Antelope Hot Springs (also Hart Mountain Hot Springs) are natural hot springs located in southeastern Oregon, U.S. 67.4 miles (108.5 km) northeast of Lakeview and 12 miles (19 km) northeast of the community of Plush, a 28.3-mile (45.5 km) drive. The springs emerge at 104 °F (40 °C) in a semi-improved, accessible location suitable for camping within Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. The pool is about 5 feet deep and 9 by 12 across (150 cm deep, 3 m x 4 m). The pool can accommodate six people. A posted sign requests that nudists lock the door, though one author suggests the remote location renders such formality unnecessary. Reportedly a rancher noticed some water bubbling from a rock and blasted it with dynamite resulting in a hot spring pool. There appears to be no official name for the springs, which GNIS refers to only as Hot Springs, and U.S. topographic maps label similarly.From the Wikipedia article “Antelope Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Antelope Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 57° ENE | 8:40 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 122° ESE | 4:29 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Antelope Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:40 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 (72%). 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 | 61 | 63 | 76 | 82 | 92 | 98 | 105 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 72 | 57 |
| Low °F | -15 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 21 | 30 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 16 | 4 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 |
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 Antelope Hot Springs, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Antelope Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Antelope Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Antelope Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Antelope Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Antelope Hot Springs?
How far is Antelope Hot Springs from Altamont?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.