Swan Pond Spring

Jefferson County, West Virginia · Near Shepherdstown
39.4710°N, 77.8770°W · 460 ft
72°F 52°F air · Good soaking weather 460 ft Roadside Camping nearby (7.1 mi)

Swan Pond Spring is a tepid spring in Jefferson County, West Virginia, about five miles outside Shepherdstown. The water on file runs in the low seventies, which is bathwater gone cold, so nobody comes here for a soak. It appears in the USGS thermal inventory, and that is mostly why it has a page. Who owns the ground, and whether anyone may walk onto it, is not recorded.

Location

Low ground, well under a thousand feet, in a part of the state that gets a wet year and a modest winter, two feet of snow spread across the cold months. Hollida Lane passes within a couple hundred feet, so the record calls it roadside. No land unit is attached, no park and no forest. Treat it as private until you learn otherwise.

The climate data on file favors December through February, though at this temperature the season matters less than whether anyone will let you near it. Access status is blank, so ask before you go. Rohrbach Group Campground is the closest camping listed, around seven miles off. Heat is no concern; the water is about room temperature.

History of Swan Pond Spring

The spring is on the USGS books as a numbered site.

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 Swan Pond Spring.

Aerial view of the ground around Swan Pond Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Swan Pond 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.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
51 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
60 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 1% 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
35°
Feb
42°
Mar
53°
Apr
64°
May
72°
Jun
78°
Jul
75°
Aug
69°
Sep
57°
Oct
44°
Nov
38°
Dec
Annual Precip: 43.4 in Annual Snow: 24.4 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 32°F · Water 72°F · +40° contrast
February Air 35°F · Water 72°F · +37° contrast
December Air 38°F · Water 72°F · +34° contrast
January offers 46°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
52°F
Clear N 0.0 mph 94% Good soaking weather
Today 79° Low 55° Sunny
Wednesday 85° Low 63° Sunny 1% precip
Thursday 88° Low 68° Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 24% precip
Friday 84° Low 60° Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers 31% precip
Saturday 79° Low 65° Partly Sunny 13% precip
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Rohrbach Group Campground 7.1 mi away

Overview THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC CAMPGROUND. ONLY SCOUTS AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS MAY USE ROHRBACH CAMPGROUND.Antietam National Battlefield is the site of the bloodiest one day battle in American history. After twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln's issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. R...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
72°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 72°F (22°C)
Avg Air Temp 55°F
Above Ambient +17°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Roadside
Nearest Road Hollida Lane
Distance to Road 219 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Swan Pond Spring?
Swan Pond Spring has a water temperature of 72°F (22°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Swan Pond Spring located?
Swan Pond Spring is located in Jefferson County, West Virginia at 460 feet elevation, near Shepherdstown. Coordinates: 39.4710°N, 77.8770°W.
How do I get to Swan Pond Spring?
Swan Pond Spring has Roadside road access, with the nearest road being Hollida Lane (219 ft from the road).
Can I camp near Swan Pond Spring?
Yes, Rohrbach Group Campground is located nearby (7.1 miles away).
Sources: USGS NWIS