Gamble Spring

Elko County, Nevada · Near West Wendover
41.3690°N, 114.1870°W · 4,980 ft
69°F 39°F air · Good soaking weather 4,980 ft Roadside
Aerial view of the ground around Gamble Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Gamble 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.

Gamble Spring is barely warm, sixty-nine degrees on record, a spring along Wilkins-Montello Road in Elko County, Nevada, forty-four miles from West Wendover. It is thermal in the technical sense and no more. Owner and access status are not recorded. A USGS site number is attached to it.

Location

About a hundred and sixty feet from Wilkins-Montello Road, roadside in the plainest sense. Elevation right around five thousand feet. Winters bring two feet of snow, give or take, and the year's precipitation is eleven inches.

On record as best: the dead of winter, December into February. Cool water, no hazard. No water chemistry is on file, so nothing to say about minerals. Nothing on file either about who owns it or if you can visit. No campground listed.

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 Gamble Spring.

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

A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
87 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 26% 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
24°
Jan
29°
Feb
39°
Mar
47°
Apr
57°
May
70°
Jun
80°
Jul
77°
Aug
66°
Sep
51°
Oct
38°
Nov
25°
Dec
Annual Precip: 10.5 in Annual Snow: 23.7 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 24°F · Water 69°F · +45° contrast
December Air 25°F · Water 69°F · +44° contrast
February Air 29°F · Water 69°F · +40° contrast
January offers 56°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
39°F
Clear N 0.0 mph 56% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 72° Low 36° Partly Sunny
Wednesday 77° Low 40° Sunny 7% precip
Thursday 75° Low 47° Mostly Sunny 7% precip
Friday 73° Low 40° Sunny 4% precip
Saturday 74° Low 39° Sunny 3% precip
Temperature
69°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 69°F (20°C)
Avg Air Temp 50°F
Above Ambient +19°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Nearest Road Wilkins-Montello Road
Distance to Road 160 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Gamble Spring?
Gamble Spring has a water temperature of 69°F (20°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Gamble Spring located?
Gamble Spring is located in Elko County, Nevada at 4,980 feet elevation, near West Wendover. Coordinates: 41.3690°N, 114.1870°W.
How do I get to Gamble Spring?
Gamble Spring has Roadside road access, with the nearest road being Wilkins-Montello Road (160 ft from the road).
Sources: USGS NWIS