Without a doubt, probably the coolest thing I’ve ever discovered driving around the desert is this abandoned hot springs resort out in the middle of N O W H E R E between Tonopah and Rachel (a/k/a home of Area 51). It sits right off the highway at the intersection of U.S. 6 and NV 375, baking quietly in the desert sun.
The place is fenced off and says “KEEP OUT,” but some thoughtful locals cut a hole in the fence for easy access, and I was tipped off by a friend that you can still soak here, if you’re respectful and don’t leave a mess.
This is a fully developed swimming pool, lined in concrete, although the elements are taking back over and slowly eating away at the edges. The hot water comes in from a little hot creek running down the mountain, and the pool empties out at the
other end back into the creek, which flows on down past the highway. Because it’s constantly being flushed, the pool feels very clean and the water is this amazing turquoise blue color, with a very fine white silt coating the bottom of the pool that is almost like clay.
I don’t know when this place ever saw enough traffic to sustain a business,
because I’m here to tell you this location is REMOTE — over 3 hours from Vegas! But apparently, there used to be a bar and grill and everything — the abandoned buildings still stand nearby, and are still full of rusted old restaurant equipment and whatnot.
As a bonus, there’s also a very quaint abandoned house directly across the
highway, and several super-rustic, busted-up old mining cabins up the hill behind the pool. You could easily spend a half day hanging out, exploring or shooting. Because it’s so remote, it’s unlikely you’d be bothered.
Wonderhussy rating: 10/10
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I must visit this when I drive down here in Febuary. 🙂
It’s a must-see!
I am doing a photo road trip will hit Death Valley again , monument valley and other places
Greetings Wonder Hussy,
Really enjoy checking out your photos and reading all of your well written stories.
I came across your site doing some research on Nevada hot springs.
Coincidentally, I just drove through the town of Warm Springs less than a month after you shot the photos and video, over the 2015 Easter Holiday.
I hadn’t been since about 1978 or so, when I was just a kid living in Tonopah.
We used to have a blast out there when we were kids and I was really sad to see it all fenced off, and because of the No Trespassing signs, decided to stay out.
The video of you in the pool made me realize that I need to stop being a chickenshit and start living life a little more, but then again, I don’t look as good even in a bathing suit as you do and the cops probably wouldn’t be quite as understanding should they happen by. 🙂
When I was a kid, everything was open at Warm Springs, including the bar and some little cabins, which were meant for tourists, but were usually rented out to locals. Even back then, it was all pretty dilapidated.
On our recent trip, we also took the ET Highway, but were headed the opposite direction as you. The last time I had driven on this road was in 1974 on a trip to Pioche, well before it had become famous for UFOs…although we did hear about the occasional cattle mutilation, even back then.
Should you decided to visit this area again, if you head a few miles northeast of Warm Springs on Highway 6, there are a couple of other places of interest.
One is the Lunar Crater, where NASA did astronaut training for the moon launches.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-test-site-gave-astronaut-trainees-taste-lunar-landscape
Another is called the Project Faultless site, which is where they actually detonated an approximately 1 megaton nuke underground back in the late 60’s. It is one of only two sites in Nevada where the government has disclosed detonating nuclear bombs off of Nevada Test Site lands, and both are accessible to the public.
The Faultless site is probably the best one for doing a photo shoot. It has a cool cylinder sticking out of the ground with graffiti on it depicting silhouettes of people that have been vaporized.
http://www.lazygranch.com/projfault.htm
http://www.yuccamountain.org/faultless.html
There is also an old Pony Express station house nearby called Moore’s Station, which might also be good for some photo ops.
Looking forward to more photos, and more stories. Hopefully, including the places mentioned here.
Mike
WOW!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for the information….I sincerely appreciate/delight in hearing from people who have actually BEEN to these sites tell me about their history. I’ll have to plan a return trip to check out the lunar crater and the Faultless site…not to mention the Pony Express station house. A billion thanks for cluing me in! 😀
And P.S., I am sorry they made such a mess of the place you grew up 🙁
My pleasure… and no need to be sorry.
Glad that it’s still there to see and for people to enjoy.
Wish I could tell you more about the history of Warm Springs, as it was obviously there long before the 70’s when I lived in the area.
BTW, there are also several very cool cone shaped charcoal kilns in and around Tybo, an old ghost town just a few miles up hwy 6 from Warm Springs. These are great for photographing, both inside and out.
Thanks for the reply.
Mike
I’ll check those out, too!
Awesome to see that there are other desert rat springers out there!
We are heading out on a winter springing trip in the next couple of weeks and Alkali and Warm Springs are definitely on our list!
Thanks for the information and keep having fun in the desert.
Yay!! Enjoy 🙂
I went by there sep5,2017 and it’s nice but also pretty popular and not really any level place to camp an RV. Also went to Chimney Springs as described in the book, and that is closed by BLM as hazardous. and Black Rock gas station is closed, so there’s now no gas between Tonopah and Ely – 175 miles
However, Bartine Hot Springs west of Eureka has been upgraded and that’s not in the book either, but photos on websites now
https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/nevada/hot-springs/bartine-hot-springs
Bartine is now one of the better ones IMHO, because there’s lots of free level dispersed camping, and I have the whole place to myself…Really nice if you’re passing nearby
Oh wow!!!! Thanks for the intel…..so it’s free to camp at Bartine? I’ll go for sure!!!
Hi Wonderhussy,
My wife and I happened across your YouTube videos and really enjoy them. We like to do desert adventures, and are curious where/how you find out about the places you visit.
I like your website!
No problem going naked?
Unfortunately, I think they closed this place off to visitors and you can’t soak there anymore.