Colter's Hell is a hot spring in Park County, Wyoming. It sits roughly 5.0 km (3.1 mi) WSW of Cody. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Colter's Hell is an area of fumaroles and hot springs on the Shoshone River near Cody in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The thermal area covers about one square mile (2.6 km2) at the mouth of the Shoshone's canyon. Its thermal activity has declined since its description by mountain man John Colter, who parted from the Lewis and Clark Expedition prior to its conclusion, and passed through the region in the winter of 1807–1808. Colter's account of the features on what was then called the Stinkingwater River has subsequently been confused with the much more extensive and powerful geysers in Yellowstone National Park, which Colter may not have actually visited.From the Wikipedia article “Colter's Hell”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colter's Hell 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 55° NE | 9:06 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Colter's Hell, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:07 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:32 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.87 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 44% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 44 | 44 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 88 | 95 | 92 | 88 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -14 | -1 | 7 | 24 | 35 | 32 | 17 | -9 | -18 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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 Colter's Hell, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
State Park
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colter's Hell?
What time is golden hour at Colter's Hell?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colter's Hell?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colter's Hell?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colter's Hell?
How far is Colter's Hell from Cody?
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.