Umpqua Hot Springs — a hot spring in Douglas County, Oregon at about 806 m (2,644 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Oakridge, about 51 km (32 mi) away (Umpqua Hot Springs lies S of town).
The Umpqua Hot Springs are a group of geothermal springs located along the North Umpqua River in the U.S. state of Oregon at 2,640 feet (800 m) elevation. The hot mineral water emerges from several sources to form a series of cascading pools. Eight pools are available for soaking, the larger having a solid rock bottom and the smaller pools have coarse sand bottoms. The larger is five by eight feet and 110 °F (43 °C), and is covered by a wooden enclosure. The upper pool is smaller but slightly warmer, measuring four by five feet and 112 °F (44 °C). Both pools are approximately two and a half feet deep. Umpqua is clothing optional. The hot springs are for day use only. The nearest camping is at Toketee Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Umpqua Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Umpqua Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Umpqua Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 3:01 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:43 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.86 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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.
- 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 Umpqua Hot Springs, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfallWaterfall
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Toketee Group Site4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Toketee Lake Campground4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Flat Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Poole Creek13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Bunker Hill Campground14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Umpqua Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Umpqua Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Umpqua Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Umpqua Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Umpqua Hot Springs?
How far is Umpqua Hot Springs from Oakridge?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.