Scott Spring

Owyhee County, Oregon · Near Homedale
42.7560°N, 117.5500°W · 3,886 ft
68°F 35°F air · Good soaking weather 3,886 ft Short Walk
Aerial view of the ground around Scott Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Scott 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.

Scott Spring is a barely warm spring that the record places in Owyhee County, about 39 miles from Homedale, which is a long drive for water cooler than skin. There is no owner listed and no access status. No campground is recorded nearby either. It is a point on the map with a name and a temperature, and little else.

Location

Reaching the spring means walking about a mile from the nearest road, which goes unnamed in the record. The elevation is just under four thousand feet. Snow is light, under two feet a winter, and this is dry country with around eleven inches of precipitation a year.

The record flags midwinter as the time to go. The water is too cool for soaking. Because ownership and access are both unrecorded, find out whose land the mile-long walk crosses before you set out. No fee and no facilities are on file.

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 Scott Spring.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
55 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the northwest
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
72 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 7% 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
35°
Feb
43°
Mar
49°
Apr
58°
May
68°
Jun
79°
Jul
78°
Aug
67°
Sep
51°
Oct
39°
Nov
30°
Dec
Annual Precip: 11.0 in Annual Snow: 19.2 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 30°F · Water 68°F · +38° contrast
December Air 30°F · Water 68°F · +38° contrast
February Air 35°F · Water 68°F · +33° contrast
January offers 49°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
35°F
SSE 25.0 mph 66% Good soaking weather
Today 76° Low 45° Sunny
Wednesday 77° Low 48° Sunny
Thursday 74° Low 45° Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny 27% precip
Friday 76° Low 45° Sunny 5% precip
Saturday 78° Low 46° Sunny 1% precip
Temperature
68°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 68°F (20°C)
Avg Air Temp 52°F
Above Ambient +16°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 1.0 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Scott Spring?
Scott Spring has a water temperature of 68°F (20°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Scott Spring located?
Scott Spring is located in Owyhee County, Oregon at 3,886 feet elevation, near Homedale. Coordinates: 42.7560°N, 117.5500°W.
How do I get to Scott Spring?
Scott Spring has Short Walk road access (1.0 mi from the road).