Hunter's Hot Springs is a hot spring in Lake County, Oregon. It sits roughly 4.1 km (2.5 mi) NNW of Lakeview.
Hunters Hot Springs (often stylized as Hunter's Hot Springs) are natural geothermal springs located in Lake County, Oregon, United States, 2 miles (3 km) north of Lakeview. The springs are named after Harry Hunter, who bought the springs in 1923. The best known feature within the geothermal area is Old Perpetual, which is Oregon's only continuously erupting geyser. The geyser was formed as a result of a well drilling attempt while Hunter was developing a health resort at the springs.From the Wikipedia article “Hunters Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hunter's 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 239° (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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 57° ENE | 8:42 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 122° ESE | 4:33 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Hunter's 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 | 4:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:34 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 | 10:43 PM – 1:43 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:41 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:38 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 60 | 60 | 71 | 77 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -14 | -5 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 27 | 37 | 35 | 26 | 16 | -1 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 |
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 Hunter's Hot Springs, closest first.
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Mountain Pass
State Park
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aspen Cabin (Fremont-Winema National Forest, Or)16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Drake Peak Lookout19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hunter's Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Hunter's Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hunter's Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hunter's Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hunter's Hot Springs?
How far is Hunter's Hot Springs from Lakeview?
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.