Dyke Hot Springs

Humboldt County, Nevada · Near Winnemucca
41.5670°N, 118.5640°W · 4,040 ft
158°F 4,040 ft Open Short Walk Bureau of Land Management
Very Hot Source, Use Extreme Caution

At 158°F, the source water at Dyke Hot Springs 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 Dyke Hot Springs LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Dyke 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.

Dyke Hot Springs comes out too hot to touch on BLM land in Humboldt County, Nevada, sixty miles from Winnemucca. Access is open. The ground is under the Humboldt River Field Office. The source temperature is the thing to know: well past scalding.

Location

A bit under five hundred feet on foot, starting from a road not named anywhere on file. Open public land. The elevation is around four thousand feet, dry country with nine inches of precipitation and a couple of feet of snow across a winter.

Best in the cold months, December through February. Short walk in. Scalding water; do not step into anything you have not tested, and keep kids and pets well back from the source. Public BLM land, no permission needed. No campground on file, and Winnemucca is sixty miles off.

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 Dyke Hot Springs.

Setting
Gentle slope
The ground tilts gently up to the southwest.
Highest ground nearby
205 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the southwest
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
100 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 47% 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
31°
Jan
36°
Feb
44°
Mar
51°
Apr
60°
May
71°
Jun
81°
Jul
80°
Aug
69°
Sep
54°
Oct
41°
Nov
31°
Dec
Annual Precip: 9.4 in Annual Snow: 23.2 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 31°F · Water 158°F · +127° contrast
December Air 31°F · Water 158°F · +127° contrast
February Air 36°F · Water 158°F · +122° contrast
January offers 50°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
Clear SSE 33.0 mph
Tuesday 77° Low 47° Sunny
Spring is +81° warmer
Wednesday 76° Low 49° Sunny 2% precip
Spring is +82° warmer
Thursday 74° Low 52° Mostly Sunny 10% precip
Spring is +84° warmer
Friday 78° Low 49° Sunny 4% precip
Spring is +80° warmer
Saturday 81° Low 51° Sunny
Spring is +77° warmer
Temperature
158°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 158°F (70°C)
Avg Air Temp 54°F
Above Ambient +104°F
Great soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 472 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Humboldt River Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Dyke Hot Springs?
Dyke Hot Springs has a water temperature of 158°F (70°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Dyke Hot Springs located?
Dyke Hot Springs is located in Humboldt County, Nevada at 4,040 feet elevation, near Winnemucca. Coordinates: 41.5670°N, 118.5640°W.
How do I get to Dyke Hot Springs?
Dyke Hot Springs has Short Walk road access (472 ft from the road).
Is Dyke Hot Springs free to visit?
Dyke Hot Springs has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Is it safe to soak at Dyke Hot Springs?
No, not at the source. The water at Dyke Hot Springs reaches 158°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