Unnamed Thermal Spring
Scorching 151°F water emerges just 1,170 feet from the nearest road at 3,994 feet elevation, delivering sodium-sulfate thermal water 97 degrees above ambient temperature. Water chemistry shows pH 8.8 with 210 mg/L sodium, 120 mg/L sulfate, and 76 mg/L chloride on BLM's Black Rock Field Office property near Lovelock.
Located at 3,994 feet in extreme Great Basin aridity where annual precipitation totals just 7.3 inches with 13.3 inches of snow, the spring flows on federal public lands designated for multiple uses. Mean air temperatures average 53.9°F in this sagebrush desert managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Black Rock Field Office in Nevada's Pershing County.
Quarter-mile walk across desert demands water and sun protection. Extreme 151°F temperature prohibits direct contact but allows observation of thermal features. Visit during cooler months. Alkaline water may cause mineral deposits. Verify BLM access regulations before visiting.
No documented name, Indigenous associations, or development timeline exists for this spring. Recent USGS measurements confirmed 50.8°C alongside alkaline chemistry showing very low calcium at 1.5 mg/L, indicating deep geothermal circulation through sodium-rich volcanic formations.
The water at This spring is alkaline (pH 8.8).
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this spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear. The water is dangerously hot — bring water shoes and test pools carefully.
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