Home Station Ranch Hot Spring

Lander County, Nevada · Near Battle Mountain
40.1780°N, 117.4960°W · 4,451 ft
135°F 41°F air · Good soaking weather 4,451 ft Open Roadside Bureau of Land Management
Aerial view of the ground around Home Station Ranch Hot Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Home Station Ranch Hot 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.

Home Station Ranch Hot Spring comes out hot, in the mid-one-thirties, too hot to sit in as it rises. It sits in Lander County on ground the Bureau of Land Management administers, about forty-two miles from Battle Mountain, and access is recorded as open. Jersey Valley Road runs within forty feet of it. The water analysis dates to June 1980 and reads a hair under neutral.

Location
49 miles from Battle Mountain, NV

Roadside in the plainest sense: Jersey Valley Road and the spring are a few strides apart. The ground belongs to the BLM and is handled by the Humboldt River Field Office. Elevation is middling for the state, around forty-five hundred feet, with a couple of feet of snow over a winter and precipitation of about ten inches annually. No photo, no description of shape or surroundings.

Winter is what the record favors, December through February. You can drive right up. The water will burn you, so test it before any part of you goes in, and keep dogs and children back from where it surfaces. The ground is open public land. No fee is recorded and nobody has named a campground. The chemistry behind all this is forty-five years old.

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 Home Station Ranch Hot Spring.

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

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 35% 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
32°
Jan
36°
Feb
44°
Mar
52°
Apr
60°
May
73°
Jun
82°
Jul
80°
Aug
70°
Sep
56°
Oct
43°
Nov
32°
Dec
Annual Precip: 10.3 in Annual Snow: 27.5 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 32°F · Water 135°F · +103° contrast
December Air 32°F · Water 135°F · +103° contrast
February Air 36°F · Water 135°F · +99° contrast
January offers 50°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
41°F
N 10.8 mph 36% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 79° Low 50° Sunny
Spring is +56° warmer
Wednesday 80° Low 54° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +55° warmer
Thursday 75° Low 54° Sunny
Spring is +60° warmer
Friday 79° Low 51° Sunny
Spring is +56° warmer
Saturday 82° Low 53° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +53° warmer
Water Chemistry Sampled 1980-06-03

The water at Home Station Ranch Hot Spring is neutral (pH 6.8).

pH 6.8 Neutral
pH influences mineral absorption through skin
Calcium 28 mg/L
May support bone density and joint health
Magnesium 4 mg/L
Known for muscle relaxation and stress relief
Sodium 180 mg/L
Supports circulation and skin hydration
Sulfate 102 mg/L
Traditionally used for skin conditions and inflammation
Chloride 36 mg/L
Natural antiseptic with skin health benefits
Where to Stay

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Temperature
135°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 135°F (57°C)
Avg Air Temp 55°F
Above Ambient +80°F
Great soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Roadside
Nearest Road Jersey Valley Road
Distance to Road 39 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 Home Station Ranch Hot Spring?
Home Station Ranch Hot Spring has a water temperature of 135°F (57°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Home Station Ranch Hot Spring located?
Home Station Ranch Hot Spring is located in Lander County, Nevada at 4,451 feet elevation, near Battle Mountain. Coordinates: 40.1780°N, 117.4960°W.
How do I get to Home Station Ranch Hot Spring?
Home Station Ranch Hot Spring has Roadside road access, with the nearest road being Jersey Valley Road (39 ft from the road).
Is Home Station Ranch Hot Spring free to visit?
Home Station Ranch Hot Spring has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
What minerals are in the water at Home Station Ranch Hot Spring?
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulfate, Chloride. The pH is 6.8 (neutral).
Is it safe to soak at Home Station Ranch Hot Spring?
With care. At 135°F Home Station Ranch Hot Spring is hot enough to need short sessions, fifteen to twenty minutes, and plenty of water. Enter slowly and get out if you feel light-headed.
Sources: USGS NWIS