Note: These hot springs are in the middle of nowhere with no services.  Fuel up, bring food, extra water, and a spare tire.  Bring a garbage bag and clean up some of the trash that is around the area too!

Once you leave I-95 the fastest way to get to the springs is on a dirt road.  The road is fine but just be careful if there were recent rains or snow as it could be muddy.

While on a recent adventure trip to Western Nevada, we stopped at the Fish Lake Valley Hot Well to relax under the stars.  The drive out here was on a semi-bumpy dirt road but we didn’t mind all the bumps.

We eventually made it to the well and found a large open space for camping and RVs.  The area could easily accommodate lots of tents and RVs and there is even an outhouse to use.   We saw a few campers already set up and enjoying the quiet valley.  I think winter is the best time to visit since there are less visitors and the cold outside temperature is really nice with the the hot well water.  The water is crystal clear and there isn’t a sulfur smell too!

There aren’t any trees nearby so if you plan on visiting in the middle of the summer, I would bring a large umbrella or some type of sunshade.  The well and pool are located on the other side of the outhouse and camping area with a fence surrounding it.  You will find BBQ grills here too.

While we were in the pool, a local man and his wife jumped in and we started talking with them.  We asked them about the history of this place and the man said that in the 1970s a drilling company came through and drilled down around 6,000+ feet to see if they could find oil.  They didn’t find oil, but they did find hot water. So this is technically a man-made well and not a spring.  They eventually capped it and left.   The county came by years later and reopened the cap and put a 4″ pipe at the end to let the water escape (the well is next to the pool).  They also created the pool and ponds.  According to the man, the pipe pumps out more than 100 gallons of water per minute.  You can feel the water pressure at the bottom of the pool – it’s pretty strong!

You can swim in the ponds too! We didn’t try since it was already around freezing and the 105° Fahrenheit (40.5 Celsius) pool felt amazing.  The pool is about 13 ft by 6 ft and is 3 ft deep.  There isn’t anywhere to sit inside the pool so I would highly recommend bringing a chair of some kind.   Or you can just stand or hang on to the pool edge.  My friend and I wore swimsuits, but the two locals that came in were just fine wearing nothing, so be prepared for that.

Our new local friends told us that the springs get super packed in the summer with parties, get-togethers, and campers.  Unfortunately, with that many visitors, comes vandalism and sometimes destruction of property.  Since this place is free to visit and free to camp, please pick up some trash during your stay.  I found tons of cigarette butts right next to the pool and picked up a handful and threw it in the nearby trash.  There is a sign that says if the springs get more vandalized the county will close it.