Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs in Western Nevada

We are driving down Highway listening to some tunes that match the desert landscape and keeping our eye out for a small sign. The sign says Mineral Gold Ridge, we make a quick turn and make our way down a 7-mile dusty road. A beautiful western Nevada day, we find the site empty except for a water truck filling up at the other end of the lake. An observation of lake reveals a school of common Goldfish, dozens of orange and blue dragonflies buzz overhead as the wind rustles the nearby reeds. A group of ducks has made the warm lake their home. The main hot spring water is diverted into a small cement pool.

The hot springs are called Dyer / Fish Lake Valley Hot Well and are located off NV264 in the town of Dyer. This man-made hot springs pool is 7x7 and 3.5 foot and the water is heated to 105 degrees. You can also wade into the lake which is heated by the geothermal water.

Owned and maintained by Esmeralda County the park is open to the public for free camping and swimming. The county has installed a pit toilet and BBQ’s grills. Recommended by many websites sites for RV’ers; there’s a lot of room to spread out. Try a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds and be warned of the possibility of overflowing trash cans from the weekend. Be sure to pack out your trash.

If your heading towards Yosemite; check out our friends’ recommendation: Whoa Nellie Deli. We hear they make some great sandwiches.

Loneliest Highway in America: 50

Called the loneliest Highway in the U.S Highway 50 crosses the upper portion of the states. This is the Nevada section which offered up some obscure and surreal scenery and some great stops that includes a dune rising from the barren desert, relaxing spencer hot springs, caves that can only be accessed through a tiny door, a shoe tree, run down casinos and free camping.