Lehman Hot Springs — a hot spring in Umatilla County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 39 km (24 mi) SSE of Pilot Rock.
Lehman Hot Springs is a hot springs resort in Oregon. The hot springs were used by Native Americans before European settlers arrived. A resort named Lehman Hot Springs was established in 1871. The springs are located along Oregon 244 east of Ukiah in the Blue Mountains at an elevation of 4,300 feet (1,300 m). The family that had owned the resort for most of the 1900s repurchased the property in 2012, despite problems with some of the facilities. After extensive renovations Lehman Hot Springs is operating as a limited use facility for private organizations. It is not open to the public for daily swims. Lehman Hot Springs is the largest collection of natural hot spring pools in the Northwest. Pendleton, Oregon photographer Walter S. Bowman captured images of bathers at the hot springs during the early 20th century, including partygoers at a masquerade.From the Wikipedia article “Lehman Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lehman Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 55° NE | 8:46 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 124° ESE | 4:16 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:38 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Lehman 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:19 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:08 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:13 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:09 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:09 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 100 | 101 | 103 | 100 | 87 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -9 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 28 | 35 | 44 | 43 | 31 | 15 | 5 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- Condensation forms quickly on lenses; let gear acclimate and carry a cloth.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Lehman Hot Springs, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lehman Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Lehman Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lehman Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lehman Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lehman Hot Springs?
How far is Lehman Hot Springs from Pilot Rock?
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.