Borax Spring

Churchill County, Nevada · Near Fallon
39.3420°N, 118.5780°W · 3,955 ft
180°F 46°F air · Good soaking weather 3,955 ft Open Short Walk Bureau of Land Management
Very Hot Source, Use Extreme Caution

At 180°F, the source water at Borax Spring is hot enough to cause burns. Some hot springs this hot have cooler side pools or downstream areas suitable for soaking. Always test the water temperature before entering.

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

Borax Spring is a scalding thermal spring on BLM land outside Fallon in Churchill County, Nevada, roughly fourteen miles from town. The water comes out well above the temperature that burns skin. Access is open, under the Stillwater Field Office. There is no water analysis on file and no USGS site number. The file holds a name and a temperature and little else.

Location

From the road it is under half a mile on foot, across public ground that carries no special designation. Low-to-mid elevation desert, dry, seven inches of rain in a normal year, with a foot of snow across the winter. What the spring looks like, and what it sits in, the record does not describe.

The record points to winter. The water is dangerously hot; do not touch it at the source and watch footing near it. Access is open. No fee, no campground, no chemistry. Fallon is the supply point. With a temperature reading this high and no soaking pool described, come expecting to look at it.

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 Borax Spring.

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

A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
125 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 75% 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
37°
Jan
41°
Feb
49°
Mar
56°
Apr
63°
May
75°
Jun
84°
Jul
82°
Aug
72°
Sep
57°
Oct
44°
Nov
35°
Dec
Annual Precip: 6.8 in Annual Snow: 11.7 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 35°F · Water 180°F · +145° contrast
January Air 37°F · Water 180°F · +143° contrast
February Air 41°F · Water 180°F · +139° contrast
December offers 48°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
46°F
Clear N 0.0 mph 51% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 81° Low 44° Sunny
Spring is +99° warmer
Wednesday 81° Low 47° Sunny
Spring is +99° warmer
Thursday 78° Low 46° Sunny
Spring is +102° warmer
Friday 80° Low 45° Sunny
Spring is +100° warmer
Saturday 83° Low 46° Sunny
Spring is +97° warmer
Temperature
180°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 180°F (82°C)
Avg Air Temp 58°F
Above Ambient +122°F
Great soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.4 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Stillwater Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Borax Spring?
Borax Spring has a water temperature of 180°F (82°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Borax Spring located?
Borax Spring is located in Churchill County, Nevada at 3,955 feet elevation, near Fallon. Coordinates: 39.3420°N, 118.5780°W.
How do I get to Borax Spring?
Borax Spring has Short Walk road access (0.4 mi from the road).
Is Borax Spring free to visit?
Borax Spring has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Is it safe to soak at Borax Spring?
No, not at the source. The water at Borax Spring reaches 180°F, which can cause severe burns within seconds. Look for cooled side pools or downstream stretches, and test with a hand before anything else.