Unnamed Thermal Spring
This unnamed 68°F spring flows 14.2 degrees above the 53.8°F ambient temperature in White Pine County, Nevada, though administered by Utah's BLM Fillmore Field Office. Emerging at 4,825 feet along Foot Ranch Road (60 meters from pavement), the roadside spring sits on public land open to access. The cross-border management reflects the Great Basin's complex federal jurisdictions.
The spring occupies high desert basin-and-range topography straddling the Utah-Nevada border. Annual precipitation totals just 7.2 inches with 20.2 inches of snow—arid conditions supporting shadscale, sagebrush, and sparse grasses. Mountain ranges rise in multiple directions: the Confusion Range to the east, Snake Range to the west. The nearest town, McGill, lies in Nevada's Steptoe Valley, historically a copper mining center.
Roadside access (60 meters from Foot Ranch Road) provides easy approach. The spring's 68°F temperature is warm rather than hot. Bring all supplies; services are limited in the remote border region. Verify current road conditions before travel; some basin roads become impassable when wet. No developed facilities exist nearby. Visit spring or fall for moderate temperatures.
No name is recorded for this spring. The region was inhabited by Goshute peoples who utilized scattered water sources across the Great Basin. Euro-American presence began with exploration and the Pony Express route in the 1860s. McGill was established in 1908 as a copper smelter town. This spring lacks specific development history.
Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
this spring is road-accessible, so you can bring more gear.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.