Abel Spring

Eureka County, Nevada · Near Eureka
38.3650°N, 115.8670°W · 4,800 ft
115°F 48°F air · Good soaking weather 4,800 ft Open Roadside Bureau of Land Management
Aerial view of the ground around Abel Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Abel 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.

Abel Spring is a hot spring on BLM land in Eureka County, Nevada, under the Tonopah Field Office. Eureka itself is the closest town of any kind, close to eighty miles away, so nothing about this is a quick stop. The water tests hot, a notch above the top of comfortable soaking. Public access is open. No water chemistry has been filed.

Location

Lockes Road comes within two hundred forty feet. You can see it from the car. The country is high desert basin with a dry climate, seven inches of precipitation most years and a modest dusting of snow over the winter. The land carries no special designation beyond public BLM ground, and the file describes nothing at the spring itself.

The window on file runs December through February, and with so little snow the road is less of a worry than the distance. Hot enough to need a hand in first; at this temperature a long soak will overheat you. No campground or fee shows in the record, and the water was never analyzed. Eureka is the one supply point listed and it is a long drive back.

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 Abel Spring.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
16 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the northwest
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
94 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 38% 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
35°
Jan
38°
Feb
48°
Mar
55°
Apr
63°
May
77°
Jun
83°
Jul
81°
Aug
72°
Sep
58°
Oct
45°
Nov
34°
Dec
Annual Precip: 6.6 in Annual Snow: 13.3 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 34°F · Water 115°F · +81° contrast
January Air 35°F · Water 115°F · +80° contrast
February Air 38°F · Water 115°F · +77° contrast
December offers 49°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
48°F
Clear NNW 33.2 mph 23% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 88° Low 50° Mostly Sunny
Spring is +27° warmer
Wednesday 86° Low 52° Patchy Blowing Dust
Spring is +29° warmer
Thursday 85° Low 51° Sunny
Spring is +30° warmer
Friday 84° Low 49° Sunny
Spring is +31° warmer
Saturday 85° Low 49° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +30° warmer
Where to Stay

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Temperature
115°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 115°F (46°C)
Avg Air Temp 58°F
Above Ambient +58°F
Good soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Roadside
Nearest Road Lockes Road
Distance to Road 239 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Tonopah Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Abel Spring?
Abel Spring has a water temperature of 115°F (46°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Abel Spring located?
Abel Spring is located in Eureka County, Nevada at 4,800 feet elevation, near Eureka. Coordinates: 38.3650°N, 115.8670°W.
How do I get to Abel Spring?
Abel Spring has Roadside road access, with the nearest road being Lockes Road (239 ft from the road).
Is Abel Spring free to visit?
Abel Spring has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Is it safe to soak at Abel Spring?
With care. At 115°F Abel Spring is hot enough to need short sessions, fifteen to twenty minutes, and plenty of water. Enter slowly and get out if you feel light-headed.
Sources: USGS NWIS