Black Rock Hot Springs

What to expect

Black Rock Hot Springs sits at the base of Black Rock Point, a dark, sharp-topped peak at the southern tip of the Black Rock Range. It rises straight out of the north end of the Black Rock Desert playa, one of the flattest places on earth, and you can see it for miles across the lakebed. For emigrants on the Applegate Trail in the 1840s and 1850s, the point was a landmark and the springs were a place to stop for water, once it had cooled. Today the springs are inside the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area (NCA), managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

There are two pools that run into each other. The smaller one is deep, with no visible bottom, and is extremely hot. Friends of Black Rock-High Rock, the local group that works with the BLM, says it should not be entered. The larger pool is shallow and also very hot. Water flowing out of the pools spreads into a marsh and cools a lot as it goes. No source gives a reliable soaking temperature, and that is the point: this is a spring to visit, photograph and camp near, not a hot tub.

The rest of the setting is the draw. You get open playa in one direction, the Black Rock Range behind you, and a sky with almost no light pollution. South of the springs lies an old sheepherder’s wagon. It is fragile and historic, so look but do not climb on it.

There are no facilities of any kind. No water, toilets, shade structures or trash service. The NCA has no potable water anywhere inside its boundary.

Getting there

From Reno, take I-80 east to Wadsworth, then NV-447 north for about 75 miles to Gerlach. Gerlach is the last place for fuel, food, water and a phone signal.

From Gerlach the route crosses the Black Rock Desert playa, the dry bed of an ancient lake. There is no paved or graded road to the springs. You drive onto the playa from the roads north of Gerlach and head northeast toward Black Rock Point, the pointed dark peak on the horizon. The springs are directly beneath it, about 29 miles from Gerlach as the crow flies. The last stretch off the playa is a sandy track. Travel Nevada and the BLM both recommend a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, and the BLM suggests tires of at least 6-ply with a full-size spare.

The playa rule is simple: if it is not bone dry, do not drive on it. Rain turns the surface into deep mud that can trap a vehicle for days, and help can take days to arrive. Call or stop at the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock office in Gerlach (775-625-7848) or the seasonal BLM Black Rock Station before you set out. Off the playa, motor vehicles must stay on existing roads and designated routes, and wheeled vehicles are banned in the NCA’s wilderness areas.

When to go

Late spring and fall are the best windows. The playa is usually dry, and days are warm rather than brutal. Summer brings intense heat and glare on the lakebed. Winter can be cold and snowy, and storms make the playa unusable.

Avoid the Burning Man period. The BLM closes part of the playa near Gerlach every year for the Burning Man event. Under its notice published June 20, 2023 (FR Doc. 2023-13016), the closure runs for a 66-day period each year from 2023 through 2027: about 31 days of setup, the 9-day event around the last week of August through Labor Day, and 26 days of cleanup. It covers about a third of the playa in Pershing County. The springs are north of that area, in Humboldt County, and the rest of the playa stays open. Even so, routes change, traffic on NV-447 is heavy, and the closure sits right across the usual way in. Most visitors plan around it. The BLM posts each year’s dates and map at Gerlach businesses, at playa entrances and online at least 30 days ahead.

Rules and etiquette

These rules apply across the whole NCA, not only at this spring:

• No fees. Entry and camping are free.
• Permits: Commercial, competitive or organized events and activities need a Special Recreation Permit from the BLM Black Rock Field Office in Winnemucca (775-623-1500).
• Camping limit: 14 days. Under the BLM supplementary rules for the NCA (2008) you may pull off a road no more than 50 feet to camp, vehicle camping is limited to designated sites in the front country zone and several named areas, and you must not camp within 100 yards of a spring in a way that blocks wildlife or livestock.
• Stay back from water: Friends of Black Rock-High Rock asks visitors not to camp within 300 feet of any water source, which includes these springs.
• Fires: Not allowed directly on the playa floor. During the Burning Man window, the BLM’s temporary restrictions require any campfire on the playa to be in a container raised at least 6 inches off the surface. Check current fire restrictions with the field office.
• Vehicles: Stay on existing roads off the playa.
• Clothing: There is no clothing rule, but with water this hot there is little reason to undress.
• Signs and fences: Obey hazard signs and never remove them.
• Pack out everything. During the Burning Man window the BLM also bans leaving human waste or grey water on the playa surface.

Where to stay nearby

At the springs: Camping on BLM land around Black Rock Point, within 50 feet of the road and well back from the water. Check with the Black Rock Field Office whether designated-site rules apply where you stop. Bring all your water.

Other NCA camping: The BLM has designated sites in the Soldier Meadows area and High Rock Canyon, and rustic cabins at Stevens Camp, Massacre Ranch and Soldier Meadows.

Gerlach has a motel, restaurants, fuel and a sheriff’s sub-station. The nearest larger towns are Reno, about 110 miles south, and Winnemucca to the east.

Safety notes

• Scalding water: Many Nevada springs exceed 150°F66°C, and skin can scald within seconds at 140°F60°C. You cannot judge the heat by looking. Do not test it with a hand or foot. Keep children and dogs close.
• Steep banks: The pool edges are steep and slippery.
• Remoteness: There is no cell signal and few people. Carry extra water, food, warm clothes and a spare tire, and tell someone your route and return time.
• Weather: Conditions can swing from hot sun to cold wind or snow in a day. Dust storms on the playa can cut visibility to almost nothing.
• Playa driving: Watch for soft spots and keep your speed sensible. The surface looks smooth but hides ruts and cracks.

Nearby stops worth adding

Double Hot Springs is a few miles north on the same road, fenced and at about 180°F82°C, also not for soaking. Trego Hot Springs, on the east side of the playa off Jungo Road, is the one spring in the area where people swim. Soldier Meadows to the north has hot springs and designated camping.