Unnamed Thermal Spring

Humboldt County, Oregon · Near Winnemucca
42.2530°N, 118.3120°W · 4,544 ft
100°F 35°F air · Good soaking weather 4,544 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.

An unnamed thermal point on BLM land in Humboldt County, under six miles from Winnemucca, which makes it one of the closer ones to a town. The recorded temperature is a round hundred degrees, firmly in soaking range. Access is listed as open. Nothing in the record describes a pool or any improvement, so what is on the ground is an open question.

Location

Whitehorse Ranch Road is the named approach, with the spring about half a mile off it, a short walk by the record's classification. The Bureau of Land Management administers the ground through its Vale office. Elevation is mid-range high desert, around 4,500 feet, with a dry climate and a couple of feet of snow over a winter.

December, January and February carry the best rating on file. Open access on BLM land means no gate and no fee on record, though no one has filed a campground nearby either. There is no water chemistry to go on. A hundred degrees is comfortable for most people if the water is pooled at all, which the record does not say.

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
51 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the north
Cross-section through the spring

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

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

Heat Below
74 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 9% 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
33°
Feb
41°
Mar
48°
Apr
56°
May
67°
Jun
78°
Jul
76°
Aug
66°
Sep
51°
Oct
39°
Nov
29°
Dec
Annual Precip: 11.5 in Annual Snow: 26.3 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 29°F · Water 100°F · +71° contrast
January Air 30°F · Water 100°F · +70° contrast
February Air 33°F · Water 100°F · +67° contrast
December offers 48°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
35°F
SSE 25.0 mph 66% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 76° Low 42° Sunny 1% precip
Spring is +24° warmer
Wednesday 74° Low 45° Sunny 3% precip
Spring is +26° warmer
Thursday 72° Low 47° Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny 35% precip
Spring is +28° warmer
Friday 75° Low 45° Sunny 6% precip
Spring is +25° warmer
Saturday 78° Low 46° Sunny
Spring is +22° warmer
Where to Stay

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Temperature
100°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 100°F (38°C)
Avg Air Temp 51°F
Above Ambient +49°F
Good soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Short Walk
Nearest Road Whitehorse Ranch Road
Distance to Road 0.5 mi
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Vale Malheur Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
has a water temperature of 100°F (38°C). This is considered a hot spring, well above body temperature.
Where is located?
is located in Humboldt County, Oregon at 4,544 feet elevation, near Winnemucca. Coordinates: 42.2530°N, 118.3120°W.
How do I get to ?
has Short Walk road access, with the nearest road being Whitehorse Ranch Road (0.5 mi from the road).
Is free to visit?
has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Sources: USGS NWIS