Hot Sulphur Springs (Tuscarora)
The Tuscarora one of Nevada's several Hot Sulphur Springs is nearly fifty miles from Elko and close to boiling at the source, one hundred ninety-four degrees by the survey figure. A 1978 USGS analysis found near-neutral water with iron in the mix. No owner or access status is recorded, and the photograph on file is the only thing besides the chemistry that sets it apart from the other unnamed basin vents.
Nearly six thousand feet up, this is high, cold country for Nevada. Winters bring more than five feet of snow and the year runs to seventeen inches of precipitation, wet by the standards of the state. The source lies a couple hundred feet off a road the record never names.
Midwinter is rated best here, yet sixty-five inches of snow is a serious amount, and snow that deep closes unpaved roads for long stretches. Regard the water as dangerous. It is hot enough to cause deep burns instantly. The 1978 chemistry is the only sample on record. Ownership, fees, access: all unknown, so confirm locally before visiting.
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 Hot Sulphur Springs (Tuscarora).
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
- Gentle slope
- The ground tilts gently up to the east.
- Highest ground nearby
- 78 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the east
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.
That's about 2½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 94% 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.
See every spring on the geothermal heat map →
Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.
The water at Hot Sulphur Springs (Tuscarora) is neutral (pH 6.8). It is notably rich in magnesium (known for muscle relaxation and stress relief) and sodium (supports circulation and skin hydration).
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Hot Sulphur Springs (Tuscarora) sits at 5,815 feet above sea level, way above the mile-high mark. You may not feel the altitude strongly, but hot water still dehydrates you faster at elevation. UV is about 23% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.
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Hot Sulphur Springs (Tuscarora) is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water is dangerously hot, so bring water shoes and test pools carefully.
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