Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr)

Sarasota County, Florida · Near Warm Mineral Springs
27.0600°N, 82.2610°W · 10 ft
86°F 77°F air · Good soaking weather 10 ft Roadside
Aerial view of the ground around Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr) LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr)
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.

Warm Mineral Springs, also recorded as Big Salt Spring, is a water-filled sinkhole in North Port, Sarasota County. The town of Warm Mineral Springs is about a mile away. Water on file is warm, somewhat under body temperature. It sits roadside, two hundred and fifty feet or so from Ortiz Boulevard.

Location
10 miles from Port Charlotte, FL

Low and flat, ten feet above sea level, with no snow on record and a wet climate by inches of rain. Wikipedia puts the sinkhole a mile north of U.S. 41. Getting to the edge involves almost no walking from the road. Ownership and fee are blank in the record, so the practical side of a visit is not documented here.

Climate scoring favors the winter months. No campground appears. The water is warm, under body temperature, so there is no heat risk. Check current access before you go; nothing here says who runs the site or what it costs to get in.

History of Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr)

Wikipedia describes the spring as a sinkhole whose main water supply is a vent deep beneath the pool's surface, and names it the only warm water mineral spring in Florida. The record also carries the name Big Salt Spring.

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 Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr).

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
6 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the northeast
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
46 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's below the US average of 65. It's higher than at 0% 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
63°
Jan
66°
Feb
69°
Mar
74°
Apr
78°
May
81°
Jun
81°
Jul
82°
Aug
80°
Sep
77°
Oct
70°
Nov
67°
Dec
Annual Precip: 44.3 in Annual Snow: 0.0 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 63°F · Water 86°F · +23° contrast
February Air 66°F · Water 86°F · +20° contrast
December Air 67°F · Water 86°F · +19° contrast
January offers 19°F more contrast than August
Current Conditions
77°F
Clear E 25.0 mph 96% Good soaking weather
Today 92° Low 76° Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 71% precip
Wednesday 91° Low 74° Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 70% precip
Thursday 90° Low 73° Mostly Sunny then Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms 53% precip
Friday 89° Low 73° Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 72% precip
Saturday 89° Low 74° Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms 68% precip
Where to Stay

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Temperature
86°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 86°F (30°C)
Avg Air Temp 74°F
Above Ambient +12°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Nearest Road Ortiz Boulevard
Distance to Road 252 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr)?
Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr) has a water temperature of 86°F (30°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr) located?
Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr) is located in Sarasota County, Florida at 10 feet elevation, near Warm Mineral Springs. Coordinates: 27.0600°N, 82.2610°W.
How do I get to Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr)?
Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr) has Roadside road access, with the nearest road being Ortiz Boulevard (252 ft from the road).
Sources: USGS NWIS, Wikipedia