Nevada's Great Basin region contains the most active geothermal field in North America. The same geomorphology that created the basin and range landscape has caused Earth's crust to be very thin in this area. This close proximity to subsurface magma pockets allows super-heated water to form hot springs across the region.
The information on this page should be used with care. Not all hot springs are really hot (some are just in the "warm" category.) Other springs can be scalding and physically dangerous. The information provided here is simply meant as a reference. Do your own research and proceed with caution!
Click on the following map icons to get more information about each hot spring. The locations marked with red stars tend to be the most popular and accessible. Locations marked with an orange dot
have extended descriptions available. Locations with a blue dot
only have geochemical data. Most of the minor locations haven't been field-checked in years, so do your own research before you head out. Not all hot springs are suitable for public soaking. Use your own discretion.
Cave ecosystems are often dependent on organic material carried in by water, which serves as the primary food source for the environment. In arid climates with minimal surface rainfall, the input of organic matter and nutrients into caves becomes limited, affecting the overall energy flow within these environments. The intricate interplay between surface conditions and cave biota presents unique management challenges for modern cave biologists. Image courtesy of Dr. Jean K. Krejca, Zara Environmental LLC.
Registration for the 2025 symposium is now open! Early registration discounts end at midnight on September 15. After that, registration packages increase by $50.
After registering, be sure to book your hotel room soon. Our hotel discounts will expire in mid-September. See our host hotel page for more details.
In July of 1986, Life magazine dubbed Nevada's Highway 50 the "Loneliest Road in America." The article claimed there were "no points of interest" along the route and "warned" readers not to risk traveling it unless they were confident of their survival skills. However, Nevada adventurers knew better then - and still do. Sure, a road doesn't get much more wide-open than Highway 50. But that's exactly why we dig it!
Gandy Warm Springs is a refreshing oasis of tiny waterfalls, pools, caves, and crystal clear streams with water temperatures up to 81°F. Located on the western edge of Snake Valley, near the Nevada border, the springs are at the base of the southern tip of Spring Mountain (also called Gandy Mountain). The spring water that cascades down the slope of Spring Mountain joins a larger spring that emerges from a cave.
h2go Essen Vacuum Food Container
It's a double-wall, stainless steel, 17 oz capacity thermos from h2go®. This thing is more rugged than your cave pack! We've been trying to beat up the manufacturer's sample they sent, but it keeps winning. Hot things stayed hot, cold things stayed cold.
And ours will have the cool NCKMS logo printed on it.