Unnamed Thermal Spring

Owyhee County, Oregon · Near Homedale
43.5890°N, 117.3260°W · 2,659 ft
Hot 39°F air · Good soaking weather 2,659 ft Hike Camping nearby (18.5 mi)
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.

Twenty miles out from Homedale in Owyhee County there is an unnamed thermal point that the record calls hot and little else. It gives no temperature. Ownership is blank. So is access status. It is classed as a hike, a little over two miles from the nearest road, which is a long way to walk toward a spring you may have no right to visit, so read this page as a pin on a map.

Location

Two miles and a bit from a road that the record does not name, classed as a hike. Low desert, a bit above 2,600 feet, dry, with light snow. No land manager appears on file. Slocum Creek Campground is the nearest camping listed, though at eighteen miles it is not exactly next door.

The record offers no best months. Sort out land ownership before walking in; nothing on file says this is public. With no temperature recorded, a soak is not something to plan for. Camping is at Slocum Creek, a good eighteen miles away.

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
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the southeast.
Highest ground nearby
539 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the southeast
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
77 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 12% 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
32°
Jan
38°
Feb
46°
Mar
54°
Apr
63°
May
72°
Jun
83°
Jul
82°
Aug
71°
Sep
56°
Oct
42°
Nov
33°
Dec
Annual Precip: 10.4 in Annual Snow: 16.2 in
Current Conditions
39°F
Clear N 0.0 mph 93% Good soaking weather
Today 77° Low 51° Sunny
Wednesday 80° Low 52° Sunny
Thursday 77° Low 50° Chance Rain Showers 44% precip
Friday 79° Low 51° Sunny 8% precip
Saturday 81° Low 52° Sunny 2% precip
Nearby Camping
Nearby Camping
Slocum Creek Campground 18.5 mi away

Nestled in a side canyon near the mouth of Leslie Gulch, Slocum Creek Campground makes a good base for gulch explorations. Cool off in the waters of nearby Lake Owyhee or hike the Leslie Gulch Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The campground includes nine campsites, eight of which contain some accessible amenities. The low light of early morning and late evening transforms the abutting rock outcrops of Slocum Creek Wilderness Study Area into magnificent fiery wonder.Know Before You GoCa...

Fee No fees.
Stay limit 14 days
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
Hot
Warm Hot Boiling
Avg Air Temp 56°F
Access
Road Access Hike
Distance to Road 2.1 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
is classified as hot. An exact temperature measurement has not been recorded.
Where is located?
is located in Owyhee County, Oregon at 2,659 feet elevation, near Homedale. Coordinates: 43.5890°N, 117.3260°W.
How do I get to ?
has Hike road access (2.1 mi from the road).
Can I camp near ?
Yes, Slocum Creek Campground is located nearby (18.5 miles away). No fees..