Smith Creek Valley Hot Springs

Smith Creek Valley Hot Springs is located in the vast, sparsely populated Lander County of central Nevada, in the heart of the Basin and Range Province — a landscape of parallel mountain ranges and wide, sage-carpeted valleys that stretches across much of the Great Basin. The spring represents the quintessential Nevada backcountry soak: reached by dirt roads through open ranching country, with no signage and no facilities, it rewards those who make the effort with a genuine sense of remoteness. Thermal water at a neutral pH of 7.3 pools in a rustic setting against the backdrop of the Toiyabe Range foothills. The Great Basin's geothermal activity, fed by volcanic systems beneath the surface, is responsible for dozens of such unmarked hot springs across Nevada's interior — and Smith Creek Valley's offering is among those that retain an unspoiled, off-the-grid character that appeals to dedicated hot spring enthusiasts.