Hot Springs

Madison County, North Carolina · Near Marshall
35.8970°N, 82.8260°W · 1,313 ft
108°F 70°F air · Good soaking weather 1,313 ft Roadside Camping nearby (2.7 mi)

Hot Springs, the spring, is in Madison County, North Carolina, eleven miles or so from Marshall. The water is at the warm end of hot, a soaking temperature for most people. Nothing on file says who owns it or if the public may use it. No chemistry either. What is there is a temperature, a position by the road and a campground nearby.

Location

Roadside, under a hundred feet from the roadway. Low country. The climate is mild and the year is wet. Snow is light. Rocky Bluff Campground is under three miles off. Land owner and unit are unrecorded.

the record gives winter as the season, and the mild climate makes that workable. Rocky Bluff is the camping on record. Fee and access are unrecorded, so learn who owns the spring first. The temperature reading is undated, so verify before counting on a soak.

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 Hot Springs.

Aerial view of the ground around Hot Springs LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Hot 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.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the east.
Highest ground nearby
288 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the east
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from southwest to northeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
48 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's below the US average of 65. It's higher than at 0% 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
39°
Jan
43°
Feb
49°
Mar
58°
Apr
66°
May
73°
Jun
76°
Jul
75°
Aug
71°
Sep
60°
Oct
49°
Nov
44°
Dec
Annual Precip: 51.2 in Annual Snow: 18.9 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 39°F · Water 108°F · +69° contrast
February Air 43°F · Water 108°F · +65° contrast
December Air 44°F · Water 108°F · +64° contrast
January offers 37°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
70°F
Cloudy E 12.4 mph 78% Good soaking weather
Today 90° Low 63° Mostly Sunny 2% precip
Spring is +18° warmer
Wednesday 90° Low 63° Sunny 2% precip
Spring is +18° warmer
Thursday 91° Low 64° Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 32% precip
Spring is +17° warmer
Friday 90° Low 64° Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 52% precip
Spring is +18° warmer
Saturday 90° Low 64° Slight Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 52% precip
Spring is +18° warmer
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Rocky Bluff Campground 2.7 mi away

Opening Fri, May 27th 2022 through Sun, September 4th 2022When Open, campsites are available by reservation only and must be made at least 2 days in advance of desired arrival date. Combination gate code given upon reservation, through email. District office cannot give out code in the event of loss of number. *Please make note- unavailable campsites are listed as "FF" on recreation.gov. This does not mean there are any "first come, first served" campsites. There are no FF campsites on Rocky...

Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
108°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 108°F (42°C)
Avg Air Temp 59°F
Above Ambient +49°F
Good soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 89 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Hot Springs?
Hot Springs has a water temperature of 108°F (42°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is Hot Springs located?
Hot Springs is located in Madison County, North Carolina at 1,313 feet elevation, near Marshall. Coordinates: 35.8970°N, 82.8260°W.
How do I get to Hot Springs?
Hot Springs has Roadside road access (89 ft from the road).
Can I camp near Hot Springs?
Yes, Rocky Bluff Campground is located nearby (2.7 miles away).