San Jacinto Ranch Spring

Elko County, Nevada · Near Jackpot
41.8670°N, 114.6920°W · 5,220 ft
148°F 39°F air · Good soaking weather 5,220 ft Roadside
Very Hot Source, Use Extreme Caution

At 148°F, the source water at San Jacinto Ranch Spring 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 San Jacinto Ranch Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around San Jacinto Ranch 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.

Scalding. That is the first thing to know about San Jacinto Ranch Spring, which comes out well past the point where water burns skin. It sits in Elko County about eight miles from Jackpot. The record names no land owner and gives no public access status, and with ranch in the name you should assume someone may hold it privately until you learn otherwise.

Location

Ten feet. That is the gap between the spring and the nearest road, so if the road is open to you the spring is too. No road name appears in the record. The ground sits a little over five thousand feet up, winters bring around forty inches of snow, and the year as a whole runs on the dry side. Neither a land unit nor a designation is listed, and there is no campground in the file.

The cold months are what the record points to. Temperature is the hazard: water this hot burns on contact, so keep children and dogs well back from the source and do not try to soak without a way to cool it. Access is the other open question. Nobody is listed as owner. Ask around Jackpot before treating this as somewhere you can visit.

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 San Jacinto Ranch Spring.

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

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.

Heat Below
115 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about twice the US average of 65. It's higher than at 67% 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
23°
Jan
27°
Feb
36°
Mar
44°
Apr
54°
May
66°
Jun
77°
Jul
75°
Aug
64°
Sep
49°
Oct
36°
Nov
24°
Dec
Annual Precip: 13.0 in Annual Snow: 40.5 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 23°F · Water 148°F · +125° contrast
December Air 24°F · Water 148°F · +124° contrast
February Air 27°F · Water 148°F · +121° contrast
January offers 54°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
39°F
Clear E 16.6 mph 48% Good soaking weather
Today 79° Low 44° Sunny
Spring is +69° warmer
Wednesday 81° Low 51° Sunny 9% precip
Spring is +67° warmer
Thursday 77° Low 44° Mostly Sunny then Patchy Blowing Dust 9% precip
Spring is +71° warmer
Friday 74° Low 43° Sunny 5% precip
Spring is +74° warmer
Saturday 77° Low 45° Sunny 5% precip
Spring is +71° warmer
Where to Stay

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Temperature
148°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 148°F (64°C)
Avg Air Temp 48°F
Above Ambient +100°F
Great soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 10 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at San Jacinto Ranch Spring?
San Jacinto Ranch Spring has a water temperature of 148°F (64°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is San Jacinto Ranch Spring located?
San Jacinto Ranch Spring is located in Elko County, Nevada at 5,220 feet elevation, near Jackpot. Coordinates: 41.8670°N, 114.6920°W.
How do I get to San Jacinto Ranch Spring?
San Jacinto Ranch Spring has Roadside road access (10 ft from the road).
Is it safe to soak at San Jacinto Ranch Spring?
No, not at the source. The water at San Jacinto Ranch Spring reaches 148°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