Unnamed Thermal Spring

Nye County, Nevada · Near Tonopah
38.8600°N, 116.7380°W · 6,836 ft
Hot 48°F air · Good soaking weather 6,836 ft Open Short Walk Bureau of Land Management
Aerial view of the ground around the spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around the 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.

Sixty miles from Tonopah, high in Nye County, an unnamed thermal point on BLM land that the Tonopah Field Office manages. The survey called it hot without recording a reading. A USGS sample from May 1967 found neutral water with very little dissolved in it. Access is listed open. With no temperature on file, a soak is not something the record can promise.

Location

High country by Nevada standards. Most of a mile separates the source from the closest road, which has no name on file, and the record calls the approach a short walk. Winters are cold, the annual average temperature sits below fifty, and snow totals pass three feet in a typical year. Dry the rest of the time. No campground on record, and no designation is attached to the land.

No best months were scored for this point. Summer and early autumn will have the least snow at this elevation. Plan on walking most of a mile in. No fee appears. The chemistry is close to sixty years old, and the missing temperature means you should test before trusting.

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 this spring.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
2 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the southwest

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
90 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 30% 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
27°
Jan
28°
Feb
35°
Mar
44°
Apr
53°
May
67°
Jun
74°
Jul
72°
Aug
63°
Sep
50°
Oct
37°
Nov
26°
Dec
Annual Precip: 9.4 in Annual Snow: 38.5 in
Current Conditions
48°F
Clear NNW 33.2 mph 23% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 77° Low 44° Partly Sunny
Wednesday 75° Low 46° Sunny then Patchy Blowing Dust
Thursday 73° Low 45° Sunny
Friday 76° Low 42° Sunny
Saturday 78° Low 44° Sunny 1% precip
Water Chemistry Sampled 1967-05-07

The water at This spring is slightly alkaline (pH 7.5) with 187 mg/L total dissolved solids.

pH 7.5 Slightly Alkaline
pH influences mineral absorption through skin
Higher mineral concentration for therapeutic soaking
Calcium 6 mg/L
May support bone density and joint health
Magnesium 0 mg/L
Known for muscle relaxation and stress relief
Sodium 49 mg/L
Supports circulation and skin hydration
Sulfate 20 mg/L
Traditionally used for skin conditions and inflammation
Chloride 8 mg/L
Natural antiseptic with skin health benefits
Where to Stay

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Mile-High Advisory 6,836 ft

this spring sits at 6,836 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 27% stronger than at sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink more water than you normally would.

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Temperature
Hot
Warm Hot Boiling
Avg Air Temp 48°F
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.8 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Tonopah Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
is classified as hot. An exact temperature measurement has not been recorded.
Where is located?
is located in Nye County, Nevada at 6,836 feet elevation, near Tonopah. Coordinates: 38.8600°N, 116.7380°W.
How do I get to ?
has Short Walk road access (0.8 mi from the road).
Is free to visit?
has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
What minerals are in the water at ?
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH, Total Dissolved Solids, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Sulfate, Chloride. The pH is 7.5 (slightly alkaline). Total dissolved solids measure 187 mg/L.
Sources: USGS NWIS