Browns Spring

Nye County, Nevada · Near Pahrump
36.0330°N, 115.8880°W · 3,020 ft
75°F 67°F air · Good soaking weather 3,020 ft Roadside Camping nearby (20.6 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Browns Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Browns 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.

Fourteen and a half miles from Pahrump in Nye County, Nevada, Browns Spring holds a place in the USGS thermal inventory and little more. The water is tepid, cooler than skin, far from a soak. Who owns the ground and if you may stand on it are both unrecorded, and no sample has been taken.

Location

Nineteen feet from the road. Low desert where snow is a rarity and the summers run hot, with around five inches of rain in an average year. The file names no land unit and no designation, which leaves private property as a live possibility. Nothing describes the form of the spring.

The best months given are the winter ones. Water this cool cannot hurt anyone. Cathedral Rock Picnic Area is the closest named camping site, twenty-some miles off, and since the record calls it a picnic area you should check if overnighting is allowed there. Access is unrecorded. No fee appears.

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 Browns Spring.

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

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 62% 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
47°
Jan
51°
Feb
58°
Mar
66°
Apr
73°
May
85°
Jun
90°
Jul
89°
Aug
81°
Sep
68°
Oct
55°
Nov
45°
Dec
Annual Precip: 5.3 in Annual Snow: 1.2 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 45°F · Water 75°F · +30° contrast
January Air 47°F · Water 75°F · +28° contrast
February Air 51°F · Water 75°F · +24° contrast
December offers 45°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
67°F
N 0.0 mph 20% Good soaking weather
Today 93° Low 71° Sunny 2% precip
Wednesday 91° Low 69° Sunny 1% precip
Thursday 89° Low 68° Sunny
Friday 91° Low 67° Sunny
Saturday 94° Low 69° Sunny 1% precip
Nearby Camping
Nearby Camping
Cathedral Rock Picnic Area 20.6 mi away

Overview Cathedral Rock Group Picnic Area is located at the top of beautiful Kyle Canyon in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, just 30 miles from Las Vegas. Visitors enjoy hiking, horseback riding and scenic driving in this forested desert oasis.Recreation No trails can be accessed through the Picnic Area at the present time. Trails may be found at the Forest Service Trailhead on the other end of Cathedral Rock Picnic Area. The new Spring Mountain Visitor Center is a 15 minute dri...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
75°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 75°F (24°C)
Avg Air Temp 67°F
Above Ambient +8°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 19 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Browns Spring?
Browns Spring has a water temperature of 75°F (24°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Browns Spring located?
Browns Spring is located in Nye County, Nevada at 3,020 feet elevation, near Pahrump. Coordinates: 36.0330°N, 115.8880°W.
How do I get to Browns Spring?
Browns Spring has Roadside road access (19 ft from the road).
Can I camp near Browns Spring?
Yes, Cathedral Rock Picnic Area is located nearby (20.6 miles away).
Sources: USGS NWIS