Fumarole Butte

Millard County, Utah · Near Delta
39.6160°N, 112.8030°W · 5,154 ft
73°F 46°F air · Good soaking weather 5,154 ft Open Roadside Bureau of Land Management Camping nearby (23.7 mi)
Fumarole: Not a Soaking Spring

Fumarole Butte is a fumarole, not a traditional hot spring. These geothermal features can be extremely dangerous. Boiling water, toxic gases, and unstable ground are common hazards. Do not attempt to soak.

Aerial view of the ground around Fumarole Butte LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Fumarole Butte
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.

Fumarole Butte is a warm spring on open BLM land in Millard County, twenty-two miles from Delta. It is about as roadside as a spring gets, thirteen feet from the road. The water is tepid, low seventies, and there is no chemistry on file. The record has no USGS site number for it either.

Location

Managed by the Fillmore Field Office, this sits above five thousand feet in dry basin country, seven inches of rain in an ordinary year and a light snow season. You park and you are there. Jericho Campground and Picnic Area is the nearest camping listed, about 24 miles away.

Best months per the record are the winter ones. Open access, no fee noted. One reading supplies the temperature and there is no sample, so the warmth is unverified. Delta is the resupply town. The record is silent on a pool or any structure. Public land, no permission required.

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 Fumarole Butte.

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

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 48% 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
28°
Jan
34°
Feb
44°
Mar
51°
Apr
60°
May
74°
Jun
81°
Jul
79°
Aug
68°
Sep
53°
Oct
40°
Nov
28°
Dec
Annual Precip: 7.4 in Annual Snow: 15.5 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 28°F · Water 73°F · +45° contrast
December Air 28°F · Water 73°F · +45° contrast
February Air 34°F · Water 73°F · +39° contrast
January offers 53°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
46°F
Clear SE 12.1 mph 49% Good soaking weather
Today 82° Low 58° Partly Sunny 5% precip
Wednesday 82° Low 57° Sunny 7% precip
Thursday 81° Low 54° Sunny 11% precip
Friday 77° Low 50° Sunny 3% precip
Saturday 77° Low 50° Sunny
Nearby Camping
Nearby Camping
Jericho Campground And Picnic Area 23.7 mi away

One of 4 campgrounds within the Little Sahara Recreation Area (LSRA), the Jericho Campground and Picnic Area has 16 sites for camping and/or picnicking. On busy weekends in the spring, LSRA may receive up to 30,000 visitors, large camping groups, and heavy use of public facilities.

Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
73°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 73°F (23°C)
Avg Air Temp 53°F
Above Ambient +20°F
Access
Open
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 13 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Fillmore Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Fumarole Butte?
Fumarole Butte has a water temperature of 73°F (23°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Fumarole Butte located?
Fumarole Butte is located in Millard County, Utah at 5,154 feet elevation, near Delta. Coordinates: 39.6160°N, 112.8030°W.
How do I get to Fumarole Butte?
Fumarole Butte has Roadside road access (13 ft from the road).
Is Fumarole Butte free to visit?
Fumarole Butte has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Can I camp near Fumarole Butte?
Yes, Jericho Campground And Picnic Area is located nearby (23.7 miles away).