Olene Hot Springs — a hot spring in Klamath County, Oregon at about 1,250 m (4,101 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Altamont, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Olene Hot Springs lies ESE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olene 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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 57° ENE | 8:47 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:38 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 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 Olene 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:59 PM – 3:09 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:48 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:43 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.3 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 20% 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 | 60 | 72 | 78 | 87 | 96 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 71 | 54 |
| Low °F | -12 | -10 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 17 | -6 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
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
- 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 Olene Hot Springs, closest first.
Lake
State Park
Lake
Hot Spring
Waterfall
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olene Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Olene Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Olene Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Olene Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olene Hot Springs?
How far is Olene Hot Springs from Altamont?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.