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.
Great Basin National Park Foundation passionately works to enhance, preserve, and interpret the starry night skies, wide-open scenery, cultural heritage, and diverse native ecosystems of Great Basin National Park.
The Foundation is the official non-profit partner of Great Basin National Park.
According to the National Park Night Sky Team, Great Basin National Park is one of the best parks for viewing star-filled night skies!
Troglodyte Playing Cards
We're not entirely sure what these will look like yet, but we couldn't think of hosting NCKMS in Nevada without offering some themed-out playing cards. There's a good chance the card backs will feature a cave critter of some kind, but we still have some time to figure it out.