Upper Warm Spring

Nye County, Nevada · Near Tonopah
38.5320°N, 116.4650°W
95°F 48°F air · Good soaking weather Open Roadside US Forest Service

Fifty-odd miles from Tonopah, in Nye County, Upper Warm Spring sits on Toiyabe National Forest land with open access. The water is pleasantly warm, a little below body heat. A 1968 sample shows it lightly mineralized. There is a photograph. No elevation is on file, which is a gap for a forest spring, and the road that reaches it goes unnamed.

Location

Eighty feet from the road to the source. Roadside, on Forest Service land. Snowfall averages around thirty inches a winter. Dry otherwise. The record gives no road name and lists no campground; the designation is National Forest and nothing more. What the spring looks like up close is undocumented.

Winter is the season the record suggests, though at this temperature a shoulder season might feel better. Roadside and open; no fee is mentioned. The chemistry is over fifty years old. No camping is listed in the record. Tonopah is where you stock up, and it is a long drive.

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 Upper Warm Spring.

Aerial view of the ground around Upper Warm Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Upper Warm 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
Gentle slope
The ground tilts gently up to the southwest.
Highest ground nearby
166 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the southwest
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from south to north, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
92 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 34% 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
30°
Jan
32°
Feb
40°
Mar
49°
Apr
57°
May
71°
Jun
77°
Jul
76°
Aug
67°
Sep
54°
Oct
41°
Nov
30°
Dec
Annual Precip: 9.1 in Annual Snow: 30.0 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 30°F · Water 95°F · +66° contrast
January Air 30°F · Water 95°F · +65° contrast
February Air 32°F · Water 95°F · +63° contrast
December offers 48°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
48°F
Clear NNW 33.2 mph 23% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 78° Low 46° Mostly Sunny
Spring is +17° warmer
Wednesday 76° Low 48° Sunny then Patchy Blowing Dust
Spring is +19° warmer
Thursday 75° Low 47° Sunny
Spring is +20° warmer
Friday 76° Low 45° Sunny
Spring is +19° warmer
Saturday 77° Low 46° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +18° warmer
Water Chemistry Sampled 1968-09-18

The water at Upper Warm Spring is slightly alkaline (pH 7.6) with 450 mg/L total dissolved solids.

pH 7.6 Slightly Alkaline
pH influences mineral absorption through skin
Higher mineral concentration for therapeutic soaking
Calcium 62 mg/L
May support bone density and joint health
Magnesium 9 mg/L
Known for muscle relaxation and stress relief
Where to Stay

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Temperature
95°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 95°F (35°C)
Avg Air Temp 52°F
Above Ambient +43°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 78 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency US Forest Service
Designation National Forest
Unit Toiyabe National Forest
Manager US Forest Service
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use

Hike 1 waterfall near Upper Warm Spring

Looking for more outdoor adventures? Explore waterfall hikes near Upper Warm Spring, Nevada.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Upper Warm Spring?
Upper Warm Spring has a water temperature of 95°F (35°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Upper Warm Spring located?
Upper Warm Spring is located in Nye County, Nevada, near Tonopah. Coordinates: 38.5320°N, 116.4650°W.
How do I get to Upper Warm Spring?
Upper Warm Spring has Roadside road access (78 ft from the road).
Is Upper Warm Spring free to visit?
Upper Warm Spring has Open access. It is managed by US Forest Service.
What minerals are in the water at Upper Warm Spring?
Water chemistry analysis shows the presence of pH, Total Dissolved Solids, Calcium, Magnesium. The pH is 7.6 (slightly alkaline). Total dissolved solids measure 450 mg/L.
Sources: USGS NWIS