Lawton Hot Springs
Outside the small community of Mogul in Washoe County, Lawton Hot Springs pushes out water hot enough that you would pull your hand back. It sits within about eighty feet of West 4th Street. A 1978 water sample came back strongly alkaline. Whether anyone may legally soak here is not on record.
The spring is roadside in the literal sense. Elevation is mid-range for western Nevada, and the weather is wetter than most of the state, with close to five feet of snow in an average winter and nineteen inches of precipitation. Land ownership is not listed, so the parcel could belong to anyone.
The water is hot, above the point where you can sit in it straight from the source, so test before you touch and never assume a pool has cooled. December through February is listed as the best window, though heavy snow can make even a roadside stop awkward. Lookout Campground is around ten miles off. The chemistry data dates to 1978. Do not count on it matching what comes out of the ground today.
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 Lawton Hot Springs.
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
- Hillside
- The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the north.
- Highest ground nearby
- 265 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the north
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.
That's about 2½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 96% 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 Lawton Hot Springs is alkaline (pH 9.2). It is notably rich in chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
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Overview Lookout Campground is located on the California/Nevada border just west of Reno, Nevada. It sits at an elevation of 6,770 feet in a large aspen grove. It is not a highly developed campground, but it is considered a secret hideaway by those lucky enough to know about this remote gem.Recreation Adjacent to the campground is 'Crystal Peak', which can be accessed by vehicle or a short hike. This area is also popular for off-highway vehicles, wildlife viewing, and hunting opportunities.Fa...
Lawton Hot Springs is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key.
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