Stinking Springs is a hot spring in Box Elder County, Utah. The nearest town is Honeyville, about 14.5 km (9.0 mi) away (Stinking Springs lies WSW of town).
Stinking Hot Springs are geothermally heated natural springs located in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The springs are located about 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Bear River City, near Utah State Route 83 northwest of Corinne. Locally known as Stinky Springs, the site is one of four hot springs located along the Wasatch Range near the eastern border of the county. The source of the "stink" is pungent hydrogen sulfide gas that emerges with the water.From the Wikipedia article “Stinking Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stinking Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 57° ENE | 9:07 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 121° ESE | 5:03 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Stinking Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.34 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 September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (72%). July 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 | 59 | 60 | 75 | 84 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 100 | 95 | 85 | 70 | 58 |
| Low °F | -14 | -1 | 13 | 23 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 36 | 19 | -3 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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.
- Respect bathers' privacy: ask before including people at soaking pools.
- 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 Stinking Springs, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Forest
Canyon
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stinking Springs?
What time is golden hour at Stinking Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stinking Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stinking Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stinking Springs?
How far is Stinking Springs from Honeyville?
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.