Alkali Hot Springs (Alkali ghost town)

Goldfield, Nevada (Esmeralda County)

By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026

Closed — verified below

CLOSED — the historic rock-tub soaking site at the Alkali ghost town west of Goldfield NV was fenced in early 2026 and converted to a private industrial laydown yard for NV Energy's Greenlink West transmission project; it is posted private property with active construction use and no announced reopening.

Western Horse Watchers — 'Wild Horses and Burros Losing Access to Alkali Hot Springs?' (fence documented)

Field notes — checked February 2026

Hazard: Active construction/industrial laydown yard — trespassing
Hazard: Scalding ~140F source water still discharges (runoff passes under the fence)
Hazard: Remote desert — no services at the ghost town site
CLOSED & FENCED — do not enter: the private parcel is now a construction laydown yard for the Greenlink West 525kV transmission line (Segment 2 area per Jan 2026 construction reports); fencing went up around Jan-Feb 2026
Despite the 'ca-' id this spring is in NEVADA (Esmeralda County), ~9-14 mi west of Goldfield on the county-maintained Alkali/Silver Peak dirt road — not California
No reopening timeline announced; the tubs could theoretically return after Greenlink West construction wraps (project construction windows run into ~2027) but nothing is promised — treat as indefinitely closed
The spring historically ran ~140F at the source feeding two rock-walled tubs (~100-108F) — irrelevant now, but do not duck the fence: active industrial site, posted no trespassing
Surrounding desert is BLM land where dispersed camping remains legal — just not on the fenced parcel
NDOT signs 'Alkali' from US-95 ~5 mi north of Goldfield; the 9-mi graded county road to the site remains driveable, but there is nothing legally visitable at the end

102°F reportedFree when open (reported)Safety warning — read access notes

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Current status

Spring

Closed

Road

Open

Access

No public access

Soaking

Soaking prohibited

Water

Dangerously hot at source

Crowds

Unconfirmed

Checked February 2026 · based on recent visitor reports · 8 sources ↓

About this spring

Hot spring at the Alkali ghost town site west of Goldfield — site of the 1930s Guisti spa resort; ruins remain with concrete pool shells, two pools of varying temperatures and a makeshift tub. Source ~140°F at the old adit — pools cool downstream; test before entering. Popular local soak. NOTE: in Nevada, not California. 140°F source scalds in seconds — test pools. Remote; debris/nails around ruins.

Alkali Hot Spring anchors the ghost town of Alkali, a dozen miles west of Goldfield at 5,000 feet in Esmeralda County. The water originally rose as scattered small seeps; in the early 1900s Consolidated Mines Co. drove a 40-foot adit to gather them into one flow — reported at 140°F at the adit entrance — and pumped it ten miles to the Combination Mill at Goldfield. The availability of water made Alkali a freighters' stop between Goldfield and Silver Peak and the site of a substation for power imported from Bishop Creek, California. During Goldfield's boom, Joe and Geni Guisti opened a spa resort with an indoor wooden swimming pool, children's area, dining room, kitchen, dance hall and bar beneath tall tamarisks; Friday and Saturday dances drew Tonopah crowds, and the resort outlasted the boom into the 1930s–40s as a hangout for Tonopah Army Airfield soldiers. Today only crumbling concrete pool shells and a defunct powerhouse remain; the spring reportedly contains lithium, and geothermal leases were held nearby as recently as 2018.

Directions & trailhead access

Access is restricted; do not use historical directions to plan a visit.

Nevada geothermal context

Nevada has more hot springs per square mile than any other state — Basin and Range faulting brings deep thermal water to the surface across nearly every valley. Most sites are primitive seeps and tubs on public BLM land reached by long, unmaintained dirt roads. Carry extra water, and watch for flash floods in desert washes during storms.

What a private-access site means here

This spring is on private property. Listing it documents the location's existence — it is not an invitation. Visiting requires explicit owner permission, and some sites are accessible only through memberships, hosted events, or arrangements with the land manager. Do not arrive unannounced.

Fact sheet

Source temp (historical)	140°F
Trail access	Recorded coordinates — access unverified
Access fee	Reported free — verify locally
Geothermal data reference	NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive)
Check land status	Private land — contact the owner/manager for permission