Mickey Hot Springs is a hot spring in Harney County, Oregon. It sits roughly 174 km (108 mi) SW of Caldwell.
Mickey Hot Springs is a small hot spring system in southeastern Oregon, United States. The hot springs are located at the north end of the Alvord Desert just east of Steens Mountain and north of the 2-6 Hot Springs which are much larger but less known. There are several natural bubbling mudpots and steam vents. The system contains at least 60 vents, 11 of which are dry. The hydrothermal system may be in its waning stages of existence. Each vent has a characteristic temperature ranging from 77–212 °F (25–100 °C) with the average about 171 °F (77 °C). The majority of the vents are far too hot for bathing. The water pH is neutral to slightly alkaline. An ecosystem of thermophilic organisms exist in the springs, separated by temperature strata.From the Wikipedia article “Mickey Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mickey 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° (NW) in June to 238° (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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Mickey Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:31 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 7.0+ 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 (70%). 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 | 59 | 62 | 76 | 82 | 92 | 98 | 104 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 70 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 30 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 16 | 4 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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 Mickey Hot Springs, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mickey Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Mickey Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mickey Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mickey Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mickey Hot Springs?
How far is Mickey Hot Springs from Caldwell?
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.