Bradys Hot Springs

Lyon County, Nevada · Near Fernley
39.7870°N, 119.0110°W · 4,133 ft
209°F 47°F air · Good soaking weather 4,133 ft Roadside
Dangerously Hot, Not Safe for Soaking

Bradys Hot Springs reaches 209°F, far above safe soaking levels. Contact with this water will cause severe burns. Look for cooled downstream pools or view from a safe distance only.

Aerial view of the ground around Bradys Hot Springs LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Bradys Hot Springs
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.

Bradys Hot Springs is a near-boiling thermal site in Lyon County, about eighteen miles from Fernley. On record the water is over two hundred degrees, which is to say steam, and there is nothing here to sit in. No landowner or access entry appears on file. Know it as a geothermal landmark, and keep your distance.

Location

Roadside, around a hundred and thirty feet from a road the record never names. It lies in low desert basin country at roughly four thousand feet, seven inches of precipitation across a whole year, winter snow around twelve inches. Ownership of the ground is not recorded.

Winter is rated best on the record. The water is scalding in the fullest sense, hot enough to cause serious injury in an instant. Stay well clear of the source, any vent and any steaming ground around it. Nothing on file says the public can visit. Find out before you go.

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 Bradys Hot Springs.

Setting
Gentle slope
The ground tilts gently up to the east.
Highest ground nearby
145 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the east
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
167 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 2½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 96% 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
40°
Feb
47°
Mar
54°
Apr
62°
May
74°
Jun
82°
Jul
81°
Aug
71°
Sep
57°
Oct
44°
Nov
35°
Dec
Annual Precip: 7.3 in Annual Snow: 12.9 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 35°F · Water 209°F · +174° contrast
January Air 37°F · Water 209°F · +172° contrast
February Air 40°F · Water 209°F · +169° contrast
December offers 47°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
47°F
SW 0.0 mph 32% Good soaking weather
Today 80° Low 52° Sunny
Spring is +129° warmer
Wednesday 78° Low 52° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +131° warmer
Thursday 75° Low 52° Sunny 2% precip
Spring is +134° warmer
Friday 79° Low 53° Sunny
Spring is +130° warmer
Saturday 81° Low 55° Sunny
Spring is +128° warmer
Temperature
209°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 209°F (98°C)
Avg Air Temp 57°F
Above Ambient +152°F
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 129 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Bradys Hot Springs?
Bradys Hot Springs has a water temperature of 209°F (98°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Bradys Hot Springs located?
Bradys Hot Springs is located in Lyon County, Nevada at 4,133 feet elevation, near Fernley. Coordinates: 39.7870°N, 119.0110°W.
How do I get to Bradys Hot Springs?
Bradys Hot Springs has Roadside road access (129 ft from the road).
Is it safe to soak at Bradys Hot Springs?
No, not at the source. The water at Bradys Hot Springs reaches 209°F, which can cause severe burns within seconds. Look for cooled side pools or downstream stretches, and test with a hand before anything else.
Sources: USGS NWIS