Unnamed Thermal Spring

Pershing County, Nevada · Near Lovelock
41.0220°N, 119.0150°W · 3,957 ft
161°F 37°F air · Good soaking weather 3,957 ft Roadside
Very Hot Source, Use Extreme Caution

At 161°F, the source water at This 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.

Lovelock is sixty-five miles from this unnamed thermal point in Pershing County, which sits a few steps off a road with no name on record. The water is scalding. The record carries a USGS site number but no land owner and no note on public access. Nobody has sampled the chemistry, and there is no photo.

Location

Roadside, thirty-odd feet from the track. Low basin elevation, dry, a foot of snow in winter give or take. Whose ground it sits on is not recorded, so the surroundings are a question mark. No campground listed. The yearly average temperature sits in the mid-fifties.

The rated season is the three winter months. Water this hot will take skin off. Do not touch. Ownership and access are unknown, which means look from the road unless you know otherwise. No fee on file, no chemistry, no campground. The USGS site number is the only official record tied to it.

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.

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.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
64 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
81 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 17% 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
33°
Jan
37°
Feb
43°
Mar
51°
Apr
60°
May
71°
Jun
80°
Jul
78°
Aug
68°
Sep
54°
Oct
41°
Nov
31°
Dec
Annual Precip: 7.1 in Annual Snow: 12.7 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 31°F · Water 161°F · +130° contrast
January Air 33°F · Water 161°F · +129° contrast
February Air 37°F · Water 161°F · +124° contrast
December offers 49°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
37°F
Clear SE 29.0 mph 56% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 81° Low 47° Sunny
Spring is +80° warmer
Wednesday 78° Low 50° Sunny 2% precip
Spring is +83° warmer
Thursday 77° Low 51° Mostly Sunny 5% precip
Spring is +84° warmer
Friday 79° Low 49° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +82° warmer
Saturday 81° Low 50° Sunny
Spring is +80° warmer
Where to Stay

Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Temperature
161°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 161°F (72°C)
Avg Air Temp 54°F
Above Ambient +107°F
Great soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 34 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
has a water temperature of 161°F (72°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is located?
is located in Pershing County, Nevada at 3,957 feet elevation, near Lovelock. Coordinates: 41.0220°N, 119.0150°W.
How do I get to ?
has Roadside road access (34 ft from the road).
Is it safe to soak at ?
No, not at the source. The water at reaches 161°F, which can cause severe burns within seconds. Look for cooled side pools or downstream stretches, and test with a hand before anything else.