The Best Hot Springs in Nevada

Nevada is one of the best kept secrets in the United States – it’s such an underrated travel destination, with mountains, wide open landscapes, and lots of secluded natural hot springs with incredible views. It’s a great state for a road trip, but whether you’re here for a day or for a few months, here are some of the best hot springs in Nevada!

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About These Best Hot Springs in Nevada

Nevada has a few hot spring resorts – which can be great for people who want a relaxing spa experience, and don’t feel like testing out muddy pools in the middle of nowhere. But, this blog post isn’t about that! These best hot springs in Nevada are out in nature, most of them very undeveloped, where you can be surrounded by beautiful scenery. Before you go, make sure to learn about hot spring etiquette!

The Best Time to Visit Nevada Hot Springs

The best time of year to visit Nevada hot springs is fall or spring, when the cooler temperature of the air makes soaking in the hot water feel amazing! In the winter (November through March), snow often makes many of these hot springs inaccessible, as they’re located on remote dirt roads, so be sure to check the weather before you go.

Leave No Trace at The Hot Springs in Nevada

Anytime you’re outdoors, whether you’re a beginner hiker or an experienced adventurer, it’s essential that you practice Leave No Trace (LNT). LNT is a set of seven principles that help us understand our impact on the outdoors – because while we usually have good intentions, the environment is more fragile than we think, and one snap-second decision can cause damage to the environment that will take the earth years, even decades to repair.

While I firmly believe everyone deserves to enjoy these amazing spots, do your part to make sure the hot springs in Nevada stay clean and beautiful! People not respecting the land can lead to these places being closed – so to make sure we can keep enjoying them, follow these principles!

Leave No Trace means enjoying the outdoors without disrupting nature, as much as it’s possible to do so. Here are the 7 principles of LNT, and how they apply when you visit the natural hot springs in Nevada!

• Plan ahead and prepare – before you visit any of the hot springs in Nevada, make sure you know what to expect. If there’s a hike, make sure you’re ready for it.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces – when you’re at any of the hot springs, make sure to stay on established trails. Avoid stepping on grass and plant life!
• Dispose of waste properly – don’t leave trash, or anything else, behind. Most of the natural hot springs in Nevada don’t have trash cans, so pack out anything you bring in.
• Leave what you find – I know it can be tempting to take a cool rock or leaf, but leave these things where they belong! Animals often use these, and if everyone takes one, the area won’t be as pretty.
• Minimize campfire impacts – only make campfires when and where it’s allowed, and use wood that’s already dead, or better yet, bring your own firewood. Put it out when you’re done!
• Respect wildlife – never approach wildlife, and never feed the animals! It’s bad for their stomachs, causes aggression, and messes with their natural patterns.
• Be considerate of other visitors – you’ll often be sharing the hot springs with other travelers. Be respectful, and don’t ruin the experience for others.

What to Bring to These Hot Springs in Nevada

When you visit some of the best hot springs in Nevada, here’s what you’ll need!

• Bathing Suit (optional) – you can totally just soak in the hot springs in your birthday suit, if you prefer. But, I love bathing suits from Aerie – every one I’ve owned has been amazing and super comfortable! Backcountry has cute bathing suits too, and I like to wear some swim shorts for extra coverage.
• Hiking Shoes – Some of the hot springs require a hike to get to. I prefer hiking in sandals and wore my Chacos for this hike, but boots are a good idea for more ankle support. I love my Danner boots – and they come in men’s and women’s.
• Layers – it’s often chilly getting out of the hot springs, so a lightweight windbreaker or a fleece to put on is a good idea.
• Backpack – if you’re hiking, you’ll need a backpack for water and snacks. I use an Osprey Hikelite 26L.
• Water – water is a always important, but hot springs can really dehydrate you. The hot water means your body is working hard to cool down, which you often won’t notice because you’re in the water . I always bring my water bottle, and a 2L hydration pack if I’m hiking.

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The Best Hot Springs in Nevada

There are lots of amazing hot springs in Nevada – all of the places on this list require driving down a dirt road, but most are doable for any car in dry conditions. Just make sure you check weather conditions, as rain can make the roads muddy! These hot springs are listed (mostly) in order starting at the northwest corner of Nevada and ending in the southeast (near Vegas), so that you can turn this into a road trip and stop at all of them, and after this list there will be a map of all the hot springs I mentioned here.

Note: I’m currently exploring Nevada, and will be adding more hot springs to this list as I keep going! More coming soon 🙂

Virgin Valley Warm Spring

I’m not sure if that’s the official name of this hot spring, but it’s located in the Virgin Valley Campground. The campground is in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, is completely free, and it has potable water and warm showers – it’s a popular place, so you might meet some fellow travelers. The pool is warm, not hot, but at about 90 degrees it’s a nice temperature to soak in for a while. There are also hiking trails and even an opal mine in the wildlife refuge!

Bog Hot Springs

Bog Hot Springs is a hot river that flows through the valley – which means there are lots of places to soak! It’s very hot as you go further upstream, but cools off as you get further from the source, so you’ll be able to find a spot that’s the perfect temperature for you. You can camp here, right next to the river!

Dyke Hot Springs

Listen, as a lesbian, when I see a place called “Dyke Hot Springs,” I obviously have to check it out. This is another hot spring you can camp right next to! There’s a really hot pond at the top of a hill, with a pipe that leads down to four bathtubs. Because the water is so hot, you’ll need to fill a bathtub, then let it cool off for a little while before you can soak. After you’re done, make sure to drain the tubs to keep them clean and algae-free!

Ruby Valley Hot Springs

There are four pools at the Ruby Valley Hot Springs (also called Smith Ranch Hot Springs). Temperatures vary from about 90 to 115 degrees, depending on which pool you soak in and the time of year. My favorite was the biggest pool – it was the cleanest (no bugs!) and the temperature was warm but not too hot to soak for a while. This big pool also had a metal ladder that made it easy to get in and also provided a place to sit!

Hot Creek Spring

I’ve also seen this one called Kirch Hot Spring, but no matter what you call it, this was one of my favorite hot springs in Nevada. But, be warned – it’s definitely warm, not hot! But, on a chilly October evening I found it to be the perfect temperature for swimming. It’s really clean, really quiet, and you can spot little fish swimming around the creek!

This hot spring is located in the Wayne E Kirch Wildlife Management Area, and while you can’t camp next to it, there’s a campground just a mile away.

Map of the Best Hot Springs in Nevada

Here’s a map of all the best hot springs in Nevada that I mentioned in this post!

Note: I’m currently exploring Nevada, and will be adding more hot springs to this list as I keep going! More coming soon 🙂

Where to Stay When You Explore Hot Springs in Nevada

If you’re on a road trip to see Nevada’s hot springs, you’ll need somewhere to stay! Here are my favorite options for places to stay.

Glamping, Cabins, & Yurts

For a unique place to stay during your trip, check out Hipcamp! It’s like Airbnb for campsites – and you can find yurts, cabins, glamping sites, and more. 

You can even get $10 off your first booking here!

A Camper van

With a camper van, you get a vehicle and a place to sleep, all in one! This is my favorite way to travel, and you can rent a fully decked out van with Escape Campervans. Another option is to use Outdoorsy, which is more like Airbnb – you can rent vans, RVs, and trailers from people who live nearby!

Find a Campsite

Whether you car camp, tent camp, or rent a tiny home on wheels, The Dyrt is the best way to find campsites! There are a lot of campgrounds in Nevada, often located close to some of these hot springs. While dispersed camping isn’t allowed at many of these hot springs, Nevada has a lot of BLM and national forest land where you can camp for free!

Hotels & Lodges

Booking.com is a great place to find hotels and lodging when you’re in Nevada!

For some options, check out this map of places to stay. Make sure to change the dates, and zoom out to see all of your options!

Booking.com

More Adventures

There are so many outdoor adventures in Nevada – like Cathedral Gorge State Park and Valley of Fire State Park!

Check out these posts for more hot springs:

• The Best Hot Springs in Iceland
• Scenic Hot Springs, Washington

If you’ve been to any of these best hot springs in Nevada and have any tips, or if you’re planning a trip and have any questions, leave them in a comment below!

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