Bagby Hot Springs — a hot spring in Clackamas County, Oregon at about 692 m (2,270 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mill City, about 31 km (20 mi) away (Bagby Hot Springs lies NE of town).
Bagby Hot Springs are natural hot springs in the Mount Hood National Forest, about 67 miles (108 km) southeast of Portland, Oregon, United States and about 98 miles (158 km) east of Salem, Oregon. The springs are in the Cascade Mountains in a heavily forested area at elevation 2280 ft (695 m). They are just outside the boundary of the Bull of the Woods Wilderness area.From the Wikipedia article “Bagby Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bagby Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 9:00 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Bagby Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:22 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). August 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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
- 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.
- A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Bagby Hot Springs, closest first.
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Ghost TownWaterfall
Wilderness Area
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kingfisher7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Raab13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Elk Lake Campground13.1 km (8.1 mi)
- Elk Lake (Or)13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Shady Cove14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bagby Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Bagby Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bagby Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bagby Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bagby Hot Springs?
How far is Bagby Hot Springs from Mill City?
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.