Chinati Hot Springs — a hot spring in Presidio County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 57 km (36 mi) NNW of Presidio.
Chinati Hot Springs, also known as Ruidosa Hot Springs and Kingston Hot Springs, are volcanic thermal springs and historical oasis located north of Ruidosa, Texas, in the Big Bend region of the Chihuahuan Desert, near the town of Presidio.From the Wikipedia article “Chinati Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chinati Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:03 AM | 90° E | 8:10 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:59 AM | 62° ENE | 9:03 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:47 AM | 89° E | 7:56 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 117° ESE | 6:04 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 12m |
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 | 7:30 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:31 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:45 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:41 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:31 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:50 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:29 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 7:01 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 7:20 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:37 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 13m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Chinati Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 6:08 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 6:46 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 5:18 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 1:47 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:25 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:48 PM – 9:48 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). June is the warmest month and January 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 | 76 | 85 | 90 | 96 | 103 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 98 | 92 | 84 | 77 |
| Low °F | 19 | 7 | 18 | 29 | 32 | 55 | 58 | 55 | 44 | 24 | 17 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
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.
- Wind direction determines where steam drifts; shoot from the upwind side to see the pool.
- 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 Chinati Hot Springs, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chinati Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Chinati Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chinati Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chinati Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chinati Hot Springs?
How far is Chinati Hot Springs from Presidio?
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.