Scruggs Springs

Nye County, Nevada · Near Pahrump
36.4330°N, 116.3080°W · 2,320 ft
86°F 67°F air · Good soaking weather 2,320 ft Restricted Short Walk US Fish and Wildlife Service
Aerial view of the ground around Scruggs Springs LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Scruggs Springs
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.

Scruggs Springs is warm water inside Ash Meadows, the national wildlife refuge in Nye County, about 23 miles from Pahrump. Access is restricted by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The temperature is on the warm side, under body heat, and there is nothing on file about chemistry or a photo.

Location

A walk of under half a mile. The road you start from has no name on record. Low desert at about 2,300 feet, where rain comes to four inches in a typical year and snow hardly ever falls. The land is federal, part of the refuge, and the spring is inside it.

The cool months rate best. Restricted access means the refuge sets the rules; find out before going. No fee or campground recorded. The temperature comes from a USGS site. The record carries nothing else about the place.

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 Scruggs Springs.

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

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 45% 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
47°
Jan
51°
Feb
59°
Mar
67°
Apr
74°
May
87°
Jun
91°
Jul
90°
Aug
82°
Sep
68°
Oct
55°
Nov
45°
Dec
Annual Precip: 3.9 in Annual Snow: 0.5 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 45°F · Water 86°F · +41° contrast
January Air 47°F · Water 86°F · +39° contrast
February Air 51°F · Water 86°F · +35° contrast
December offers 46°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
67°F
WNW 0.1 mph 22% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 95° Low 65° Sunny
Wednesday 92° Low 67° Sunny
Thursday 92° Low 65° Sunny
Friday 93° Low 63° Sunny
Saturday 98° Low 62° Sunny
Temperature
86°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 86°F (30°C)
Avg Air Temp 68°F
Above Ambient +18°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Restricted
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.4 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency US Fish and Wildlife Service
Designation National Wildlife Refuge
Unit Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Manager US Fish and Wildlife Service
Protection 1 - Permanent protection, natural state
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Scruggs Springs?
Scruggs Springs has a water temperature of 86°F (30°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Scruggs Springs located?
Scruggs Springs is located in Nye County, Nevada at 2,320 feet elevation, near Pahrump. Coordinates: 36.4330°N, 116.3080°W.
How do I get to Scruggs Springs?
Scruggs Springs has Short Walk road access (0.4 mi from the road).
Is Scruggs Springs free to visit?
Scruggs Springs has Restricted access. It is managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Sources: USGS NWIS