Located in Clallam County, Washington, Olympic Hot Springs is a hot spring. It lies in or next to Olympic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Port Angeles, about 25 km (15 mi) away (Olympic Hot Springs lies SW of town).
Olympic Hot Springs is located in Olympic National Park, Washington, United States. The springs contain 21 seeps near Boulder Creek, a tributary of the Elwha River. The temperature varies from tepid to 138 °F (59 °C).From the Wikipedia article “Olympic Hot Springs”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olympic Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:19 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:03 AM | 126° SE | 4:25 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:51 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:58 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 24m |
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 Olympic Hot Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:51 AM – 4:21 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:53 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:32 AM – 1:52 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:58 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 10:56 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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
- 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.
- Keep to boardwalks and marked paths — crusts around thermal features can be thin and the water dangerously hot.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Olympic Hot Springs, closest first.
Waterfall
Canyon
Glacier
Waterfall
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Fairholme Campground20.0 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
- Hoh Rainforest Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olympic Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Olympic Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Olympic Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Olympic Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olympic Hot Springs?
How far is Olympic Hot Springs from Port Angeles?
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.