Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs, Willamette National Forest, Oregon USA.
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44.0836° N122.2400° WBortle 2Los Angeles

Cougar Hot Springs Photography Guide

Hot Spring in Lane County, Oregon

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 237°–305°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: Kane5187 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Cougar Hot Springs is a hot spring in Lane County, Oregon. It sits roughly 42 km (26 mi) NNE of Oakridge.

Terwilliger Hot Springs, also known as Cougar Hot Springs, are geothermal pools in the Willamette National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, 53 miles (85 km) east of Eugene. The springs drain into Rider Creek, which in turn drains into Cougar Reservoir. They are about a quarter mile from Forest Service Road 19, also known as Aufderheide Memorial Drive.From the Wikipedia article “Terwilliger Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Oakridge
42 km (26 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
28% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.7 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:47 PM
sunset 6:26 PM

Light at Cougar Hot Springs

Live
Sunrise
7:30 AM
Sunset
6:18 PM
Golden hour AM
7:12 AM – 8:10 AM
Golden hour PM
5:38 PM – 6:36 PM
Blue hour AM
7:01 AM – 7:12 AM
Blue hour PM
6:36 PM – 6:47 PM
Full darkness
7:54 PM – 5:55 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:47 PM / 1:21 AM
Day length
10h 48m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Cougar Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:13 AM90° E7:22 PM271° W46°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:27 AM56° NE8:56 PM305° NW69°15h 30m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:57 AM89° E7:08 PM271° W46°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:42 AM123° ESE4:34 PM237° WSW22°8h 52m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:09 AM7:41 AM8:27 AM4:11 PM4:57 PM5:29 PM9h 15m
February6:40 AM7:09 AM7:50 AM4:58 PM5:39 PM6:09 PM10h 30m
March6:53 AM7:22 AM8:00 AM6:37 PM7:15 PM7:44 PM11h 53m
April5:56 AM6:26 AM7:05 AM7:14 PM7:53 PM8:23 PM13h 27m
May5:10 AM5:43 AM6:25 AM7:47 PM8:29 PM9:02 PM14h 45m
June4:50 AM5:26 AM6:10 AM8:10 PM8:55 PM9:31 PM15h 29m
July5:05 AM5:40 AM6:24 AM8:08 PM8:51 PM9:26 PM15h 10m
August5:42 AM6:14 AM6:53 AM7:35 PM8:15 PM8:46 PM14h 02m
September6:20 AM6:49 AM7:27 AM6:43 PM7:21 PM7:50 PM12h 32m
October6:55 AM7:24 AM8:04 AM5:47 PM6:26 PM6:56 PM11h 02m
November6:34 AM7:05 AM7:49 AM4:00 PM4:44 PM5:15 PM9h 39m
December7:05 AM7:38 AM8:25 AM3:45 PM4:32 PM5:05 PM8h 54m

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 Cougar Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
March5:02 AM – 5:42 AM0.714°SSE → SSE
April2:58 AM – 4:38 AM1.717°SSE → S
May1:03 AM – 3:33 AM2.517°SSE → S
June11:19 PM – 2:59 AM3.717°SSE → SSW
July11:05 PM – 1:35 AM2.517°S → SSW
August10:07 PM – 11:37 PM1.516°S → SSW
September9:00 PM – 9:30 PM0.513°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
DecemberBelow 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F68687386979810610398877861
Low °F971722283642403525106
Precip. (in)8.16.37.25.43.52.30.40.62.34.98.49.9

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

  • 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.
  • Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.

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 Cougar Hot Springs, closest first.

Hot Spring
Terwilliger Hot Spring0.1 km away · Lane County
Willamette National ForestNational Forest
Willamette National Forest5.3 km away · Lane County
Belknap BridgeCovered Bridge
Belknap Bridge9.4 km away · Lane County
Hot Spring
Foley Hot Springs14 km away · Lane County
Hot Spring
Belknap Hot Spring19 km away · Lane County
Waterfall
Rainbow Falls20 km away · Lane County · 918 m
Hot Spring
Deer Creek Hot Springs23 km away · Lane County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Cougar Hot Springs?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Winter gives the most dramatic steam; some primitive springs are only accessible in summer.
What time is golden hour at Cougar Hot Springs?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:47 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:26 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:04 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Cougar Hot Springs?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 56° in June to 123° in December; sunset ranges from 305° to 237°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Cougar Hot Springs?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cougar Hot Springs?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Cougar Hot Springs from Oakridge?
About 42 km (26 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.