Beryl Spring is a hot spring in Park County, Wyoming. It lies in or next to Yellowstone National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is West Yellowstone, about 28 km (18 mi) away (Beryl Spring lies E of town).
Beryl Spring is a hot spring in the Gibbon Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. It is a large superheated pool, and boils up to a height of 4 feet. One of the hottest springs in Yellowstone, averaging 196 °F (91 °C)., Beryl Spring was named by the U.S. Geological Survey Hague party in 1883 for the blue-green color which reminded a party member of the gemstone beryl.From the Wikipedia article “Beryl Spring”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beryl Spring the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 55° NE | 9:13 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 123° ESE | 4:46 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:57 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Beryl Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:23 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:26 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 11:45 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (77%). July 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 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 72 | 53 | 33 |
| Low °F | -32 | -34 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 18 | -9 | -23 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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 Beryl Spring, closest first.
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Volcano
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beryl Spring?
What time is golden hour at Beryl Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beryl Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beryl Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beryl Spring?
How far is Beryl Spring from West Yellowstone?
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.