Davis Ranch Springs

Nye County, Nevada · Near Pahrump
36.4020°N, 116.3020°W · 2,250 ft
81°F 67°F air · Good soaking weather 2,250 ft Restricted Roadside US Fish and Wildlife Service

Davis Ranch Springs is a warm spring inside Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nye County, Nevada, roughly twenty miles out of Pahrump. The record marks public access as restricted. The refuge is federal, run by Fish and Wildlife. Temperature on record is tepid, bath-warm at most.

Location

Ash Meadows Road runs right past, fifteen feet or so from the spring. This is low desert, barely over two thousand feet, with about four inches of rain annually and snow that amounts to nearly nothing. The annual average temperature sits in the high sixties. Refuge land, federally managed.

The recommended window is midwinter, December through February. Access is restricted; check with the refuge before visiting and expect rules about where you can stand. The spring is warm, no heat danger. You can drive to it. No campground on file.

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 Davis Ranch Springs.

Aerial view of the ground around Davis Ranch Springs LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Davis Ranch 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.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
11 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
98 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 43% 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
59°
Mar
67°
Apr
74°
May
86°
Jun
91°
Jul
90°
Aug
82°
Sep
68°
Oct
55°
Nov
45°
Dec
Annual Precip: 4.0 in Annual Snow: 0.7 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 45°F · Water 81°F · +36° contrast
January Air 47°F · Water 81°F · +34° contrast
February Air 51°F · Water 81°F · +30° contrast
December offers 46°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
67°F
WNW 0.1 mph 22% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 96° Low 66° Sunny
Wednesday 93° Low 68° Sunny
Thursday 93° Low 66° Sunny
Friday 96° Low 63° Sunny
Saturday 98° Low 62° Sunny
Where to Stay

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Temperature
81°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 81°F (27°C)
Avg Air Temp 68°F
Above Ambient +13°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Restricted
Road Access Roadside
Nearest Road Ash Meadows Road
Distance to Road 15 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency US Fish and Wildlife Service
Designation National Wildlife Refuge
Unit Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Manager US Fish and Wildlife Service
Protection 1 - Permanent protection, natural state
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Davis Ranch Springs?
Davis Ranch Springs has a water temperature of 81°F (27°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Davis Ranch Springs located?
Davis Ranch Springs is located in Nye County, Nevada at 2,250 feet elevation, near Pahrump. Coordinates: 36.4020°N, 116.3020°W.
How do I get to Davis Ranch Springs?
Davis Ranch Springs has Roadside road access, with the nearest road being Ash Meadows Road (15 ft from the road).
Is Davis Ranch Springs free to visit?
Davis Ranch Springs has Restricted access. It is managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sources: USGS NWIS