It’s the perfect time to take a dip in Nevada’s natural hot springs
Heal your body and mind while warming up this winter at one of these eight natural hot springs in Nevada.
Warming up in winter isn’t limited to ear muffs, hot cocoa, and a blazing fireplace. You can also pay a visit to one of Nevada’s natural hot springs.
Geothermal hot springs in Nevada are a natural gift to your body and soul. The warm-to-hot mineral-rich water from the Earth helps with relaxation and has been said to alleviate muscle pain, arthritis, and skin conditions.
Some of the Silver State’s hot springs are easier to get to than others. From primitive hot springs with campgrounds, requiring a trek through wilderness, to entire swimming pools, located inside a resort (for a fee), these eight hot springs in Nevada will help you stay warm and cozy this winter.
Hot springs in Nevada
1. Soldier Meadows Hot Springs
Where: Gerlach
Campground: Yes
Free: Yes
With a long history dating back to the Paiutes, followed by miners in the mid-1800s, Soldier Meadows Hot Springs in the Black Rock Desert is home to up to six naturally occurring public and private mineral water pools ranging in temperature from 90 degrees to 100 degrees. The water in these Gerlach hot springs comes from a hot creek that flows through the valley, so following the creek will reward you with various pools dammed by rocks, some more secluded than others. A few of the pools are large enough for groups, while others are better for singles and couples. Located about 60 miles north of Gerlach and five hours north of Reno, the road to get here can be rough and remote.
2. Gold Strike Hot Springs
Where: Boulder City
Campgrounds: Yes
Cost: Free
There are two ways to get to the popular Gold Strike Hot Springs, located along a section of the Colorado River in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Hoover Dam. One is a difficult but doable 2.5-mile hike descending 600 feet into Gold Strike Canyon, requiring hikers to navigate boulders and rope ladders. To do this, you can park in the free lot near the trailhead, located before the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge off Highway 93. The other is canoeing or kayaking through the river’s Black Canyon, south of the Hoover Dam. There are usually three hot springs along the trail, depending on the time of year (they are closed May through September due to the heat). The water varies from 100 to 109 degrees.
3. Virgin Valley Warm Spring
Where: Denio
Campground: Yes
Free: Yes
Virgin Valley Warm Spring is a year-round soaking destination, thanks to its comfortable 80-90-degree temperature. Located in Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, it’s a 5-foot-tall by 35-foot-wide pool, and the mineral-rich water is accessible via a concrete pad and step ladder. There’s also a bathhouse with a spring-fed mineral shower and a private area for changing, and it’s all next to a campground with 12 campsites. Established as a wildlife refuge in the 1930s, animals like pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, wild mustangs, pygmy rabbits, and mule deer may pass by. The small fish in the spring won’t hurt you, but it’s said they might nibble on your toes.
4. Rogers Spring
Where: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Campground: No
Free: Yes
Only one hour from Las Vegas, Rogers Spring is an accessible desert oasis with a parking lot, located off North Shore Road. Surrounded by desert and mountains, the 50-foot-wide by three-foot-deep hot spring resembles a pond. Its source is a mystery that keeps on giving. It flows at 1,000 gallons per minute, creating a crystal-clear pond bed. Palm trees provide shade in this tropical oasis where the geothermal water stays a comfy 80-90 degrees all year long. Rogers Spring has cattails and tamarisk on its shores, small swimming fish, and turtles.
5. Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center & Spa
Where: 16010 S. Virginia Street, Reno
Campground: No
Free: No
The only mineral hot springs in Nevada, Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center & Spa, is a respite for Reno residents and visitors with private baths, a cold plunge, an outdoor mineral bath, and massages. The geothermal mineral water—containing calcium carbonate, magnesium, sodium sulfate, carbon dioxide, sulfur, lithia, soda, and silica—comes directly from the ground into the soaking tubs, never spending much time in tanks or pipes. Located 15 minutes from downtown Reno, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, this registered state historic landmark was a hospital in the 1800s where the natural spring was used to treat patients. Steamboat Hot Springs has the added luxury of massage treatments, from deep-tissue and prenatal massages to reflexology. Memberships are available.
6. Spencer Hot Springs
Where: Austin
Campground: Yes
Free: Yes
Off-road and clothing-optional, Spencer Hot Springs includes three or four cowboy tubs and soft-bottom pools, and gorgeous views. The 130-degree geothermal water is piped into the man-made cattle trough pools from a natural spring, and you can control the temperature. Located 19 miles from Austin off US 50, America’s Loneliest Road, getting here requires a vehicle that can handle off-roading. If you don’t bother the mules that drink from the springs, they won’t bother you.
7. Carson Hot Springs
Where: Carson City
Campground: No
Free: No
Originally used by the Washoe people long before it was turned into a bathhouse in the 1880s, the natural mineral water of Carson Hot Springs comes from 35,000 feet below the Earth’s surface. This historic hot springs is great for families, with four outdoor pools (98-104 degrees year-round), a patio, and nine private pools (100-104 degrees). The water flows out of the ground at 120 degrees and is piped into the pools, which are drained daily. You can turn your visit to the hot springs into a full-day affair, since Carson Hot Springs is located next to a restaurant, Sassafras Ecclectic Food Joint, and a bar, Shoe String Brewing Company.
8. Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs
Where: Dyer
Campground: Yes
Free: Yes
Soak in Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs beneath unblemished night skies, one hour east of Tonopah. Located near the California state line, the variable, 105-degree hot spring is a heavy-duty, below-ground concrete tub boasting mountain views, stargazing, schools of goldfish, and nearby trail access, plus a large parking area and a campsite. It is accessible via dirt and gravel roads.
A few tips for visiting hot springs in Nevada
- Do your research, so you know where you’re going, how to get there, what you’ll need, and what’s nearby
- Due to Nevada’s rural nature, hot springs are often located in areas with no Wi-Fi or cell coverage, so bring a map and always tell someone where you’re going.
- Come prepared with sturdy water shoes, sunscreen, and anything else you might need.
- Geothermal water may have microorganisms, so keep your head above water.
- Don’t camp without permission.
- Don’t trespass on private property.
- Leave the land how you find it. Throw away your trash.
For more tips and information, visit this Hot Spring Etiquette Guide from Nevada’s tourism bureau, Travel Nevada.
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