Old Sweet Springs is a hot spring in Monroe County, West Virginia. It sits roughly 19.3 km (12.0 mi) SSE of White Sulphur Springs. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sweet Springs Resort and spa was founded in Sweet Springs, West Virginia, United States in 1792. Once known as Old Sweet Springs, this historic resort hotel is currently undergoing renovation by the nonprofit Sweet Springs Resort Park Foundation. The property enjoys notoriety for its natural hot spring.From the Wikipedia article “Sweet Springs Resort”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Sweet Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 5:07 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Old Sweet Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:34 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.65 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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.
- A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Old Sweet Springs, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Wilderness Area
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
Cave
National Forest
Cave
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Steel Bridge Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Fenwick Mines Pavilion17.8 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Craig Creek Recreation Area23 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Sweet Springs?
What time is golden hour at Old Sweet Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Sweet Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Sweet Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Sweet Springs?
How far is Old Sweet Springs from White Sulphur Springs?
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.