Resting Spring

Nye County, California · Near Pahrump
35.8790°N, 116.1530°W · 1,805 ft
80°F 67°F air · Good soaking weather 1,805 ft Open Short Walk Bureau of Land Management

Five miles from Pahrump, Resting Spring is a warm desert spring on BLM land, handled by the Barstow Field Office, with public access recorded as open. The record lists it under Nye County. The water is warm, in the tepid range, and from the nearest road it is a few hundred yards on foot.

Location

Open desert, next to no rain, never any snow. The BLM manages it as public land. The road you walk in from is unnamed on file. Elevation is modest, under two thousand feet, and the yearly average is warm, which is why the recommended months are cold ones. No bath type or fee is on file, and Pahrump is close by.

The three winter months are the ones to aim for. Camping is not listed anywhere close. Entry is open and no fee appears in the record. The water is tepid, so the only caution is the desert itself: carry water and avoid summer.

Terrain

Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Resting Spring.

Aerial view of the ground around Resting Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Resting Spring
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Setting
Gentle slope
The ground tilts gently up to the north.
Highest ground nearby
17 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the north
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
112 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 63% of the springs on this site.

Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
50°
Jan
54°
Feb
61°
Mar
69°
Apr
76°
May
88°
Jun
92°
Jul
91°
Aug
84°
Sep
70°
Oct
58°
Nov
48°
Dec
Annual Precip: 3.6 in Annual Snow: 0.2 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 48°F · Water 80°F · +32° contrast
January Air 50°F · Water 80°F · +30° contrast
February Air 54°F · Water 80°F · +26° contrast
December offers 44°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
67°F
WNW 0.1 mph 22% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 98° Low 73° Sunny 1% precip
Wednesday 95° Low 72° Sunny 1% precip
Thursday 94° Low 71° Sunny
Friday 97° Low 70° Sunny
Saturday 101° Low 69° Sunny
Where to Stay

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Temperature
80°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 80°F (27°C)
Avg Air Temp 70°F
Above Ambient +10°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.2 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Barstow Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Resting Spring?
Resting Spring has a water temperature of 80°F (27°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Resting Spring located?
Resting Spring is located in Nye County, California at 1,805 feet elevation, near Pahrump. Coordinates: 35.8790°N, 116.1530°W.
How do I get to Resting Spring?
Resting Spring has Short Walk road access (0.2 mi from the road).
Is Resting Spring free to visit?
Resting Spring has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.