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44.2411° N122.0590° WBortle 2Los Angeles

Deer Creek Hot Springs Photography Guide

Hot Spring in Lane County, Oregon

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 237°–305°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep

Located in Lane County, Oregon, Deer Creek Hot Springs is a hot spring. It sits roughly 41 km (25 mi) W of Sisters.

Deer Creek Hot Springs (also known as Bigelow Hot Springs) is a hot spring along the McKenzie River in the Cascade Range of western Oregon, United States. The thermal pools usually have a rock ring providing 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) of depth over coarse sand and measure about 8 by 13 feet (2.4 by 4.0 m). When the McKenzie river is high (winter and spring), the pools are combined into a single pool and inundated with cold water. The spring emerges at 104 °F (40 °C) from a shallow overhanging cave. The springs are located south of the McKenzie River Bridge, in a fee-free day-use area open from sunrise to sunset.From the Wikipedia article “Deer Creek Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Sisters
41 km (25 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
28% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.5 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:46 PM
sunset 6:26 PM

Light at Deer Creek Hot Springs

Live
Sunrise
7:30 AM
Sunset
6:17 PM
Golden hour AM
7:12 AM – 8:10 AM
Golden hour PM
5:37 PM – 6:35 PM
Blue hour AM
7:01 AM – 7:12 AM
Blue hour PM
6:35 PM – 6:47 PM
Full darkness
7:54 PM – 5:55 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:47 PM / 1:20 AM
Day length
10h 47m
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 Deer Creek 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 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:12 AM90° E7:21 PM271° W46°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:25 AM55° NE8:56 PM305° NW69°15h 31m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:56 AM89° E7:07 PM271° W46°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:41 AM123° ESE4:33 PM237° WSW22°8h 51m

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 AM4:10 PM4:55 PM5:28 PM9h 14m
February6:39 AM7:09 AM7:50 AM4:57 PM5:38 PM6:08 PM10h 29m
March6:53 AM7:21 AM8:00 AM6:36 PM7:15 PM7:43 PM11h 53m
April5:55 AM6:25 AM7:04 AM7:14 PM7:52 PM8:23 PM13h 27m
May5:09 AM5:42 AM6:24 AM7:47 PM8:29 PM9:02 PM14h 46m
June4:48 AM5:25 AM6:09 AM8:10 PM8:54 PM9:31 PM15h 30m
July5:04 AM5:39 AM6:22 AM8:07 PM8:50 PM9:26 PM15h 11m
August5:41 AM6:12 AM6:52 AM7:35 PM8:15 PM8:46 PM14h 02m
September6:19 AM6:48 AM7:26 AM6:42 PM7:21 PM7:50 PM12h 32m
October6:54 AM7:24 AM8:03 AM5:46 PM6:26 PM6:55 PM11h 02m
November6:33 AM7:05 AM7:49 AM3:59 PM4:43 PM5:14 PM9h 38m
December7:05 AM7:38 AM8:25 AM3:43 PM4:31 PM5:04 PM8h 53m

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 Deer Creek Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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—-5°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
March5:01 AM – 5:41 AM0.713°SSE → SSE
April2:58 AM – 4:28 AM1.516°SSE → S
May1:04 AM – 3:34 AM2.517°SSE → S
June11:21 PM – 2:51 AM3.517°SSE → SSW
July11:06 PM – 1:36 AM2.517°S → SSW
August10:07 PM – 11:37 PM1.516°S → SSW
September8:59 PM – 9:29 PM0.513°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
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

  • 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.
  • Wind direction determines where steam drifts; shoot from the upwind side to see the pool.
  • 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 Deer Creek Hot Springs, closest first.

Hot Spring
Belknap Hot Spring5.2 km away · Lane County
Waterfall
Tamolitch Falls8.3 km away · Linn County · 733 m
Hot Spring
Foley Hot Springs10 km away · Lane County
Koosah FallsWaterfall
Koosah Falls12 km away · Linn County · 826 m
Sahalie FallsWaterfall
Sahalie Falls13 km away · Linn County · 867 m
Waterfall
Rainbow Falls13 km away · Lane County · 918 m
Proxy FallsWaterfall
Proxy Falls14 km away · Lane County · 968 m
Volcano
Twin Craters14 km away · Lane County
Clear LakeLake
Clear Lake14 km away · Linn County · 921 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek Hot Springs?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:46 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:26 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:03 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Deer Creek Hot Springs?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 55° 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 Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek Hot Springs from Sisters?
About 41 km (25 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.