Double Hot Springs

Gerlach, Nevada (Humboldt County)

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

View only — no soaking

Notoriously dangerous BLM hot spring on the east edge of the Black Rock Desert playa ~5 mi north of Black Rock Springs: two fenced source pools run ~180F and have killed people and dogs — the ONLY soakable water is a steel cattle trough ~50 yards downstream fed by PVC pipe (on private inholding); high-clearance 4WD required and the playa is impassable when wet.

Friends of Black Rock-High Rock — Hot Springs safety page (Double HS warnings)

Field notes

Hazard: 180F source pools — fatal within seconds; steep slippery banks
Hazard: Scalding runoff streams near the source
Hazard: Documented human and dog fatalities (2000 death + severe burns; later dog-rescue scalding)
Hazard: Playa impassable when wet — vehicle stranding risk
Hazard: Remote — no cell service, no water, emergency response many hours
Hazard: Trough on private land — access could be revoked
Hazard: Extreme summer heat, no shade
DEADLY SOURCE POOLS — the two fenced source pools are ~180F with steep, slippery banks; falling in is effectively unsurvivable. People HAVE died here: in 2000 Lisa O'Shea died after jumping in to save dogs, and Andy Crowell suffered 2nd/3rd-degree burns over 80% of his body (both dogs euthanized); another man was scalded rescuing a dog per AP
Do NOT test source or runoff water with hands/feet — runoff streams stay near-scalding for a distance from the pools (explicit warning from Friends of Black Rock-High Rock)
Only soaking option: circular steel cattle trough ~50 yards downstream (~6 ft diameter, ~3 ft deep) fed by a PVC pipe/valve — roughly 105F when working; fill-and-wait can take ~5 hours to cool to soakable temps per one report; local convention is to drain the trough when leaving
The soaking trough sits on PRIVATE property per Friends of Black Rock-High Rock — respect posted notices; sources conflict on whether this is enforced
High-clearance 4WD mandatory — rough dirt road ~5-6 mi north of Black Rock Point/Springs; passenger cars will not make it
Playa crossings are impassable when wet — never drive the playa in wet/uncertain conditions; check current conditions with the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock visitor center in Gerlach before going
Season is roughly late spring through early fall; winter mud makes the road impassable
No camping within 300 ft of any water source; no facilities, no cell service, emergency response many hours away — ~120 miles north of Reno
Keep dogs leashed the ENTIRE visit — multiple dogs have died jumping into the pools and have burned feet/tongues on runoff

Temp not reportedFree when open (reported)Safety warning — read access notes

Check access status Browse Nevada springs

Current status

Spring

Open

Road

Rough — high-clearance advised

Access

Public land

Soaking

Soaking allowed

Water

Dangerously hot at source

Crowds

Usually quiet

verified against an official source · 7 sources ↓

About this spring

Twin deep geothermal pools (one dark, one crystal clear) on the Black Rock Desert north of Gerlach — fenced and posted, a scenic geologic viewpoint. NOT soakable: ~180°F water; a human died here in 2000 and dogs that jump in are almost always killed. NOTE: in Nevada, not California. LETHAL — ~180°F water, steep slippery banks; a fatality occurred in 2000. Keep dogs leashed and children close. NO soaking.

Double Hot Springs is a pair of adjoining geothermal pools on the edge of the Black Rock Desert west of the Black Rock Range, north of Black Rock Springs. Hague and Emmons described them in 1877: two pools 15–20 feet across and apparently as deep, with surface readings of 165–168°F and 171°F in a smaller pool — probably near boiling below; Garside later reported 202°F for the southernmost spring. The pools sit atop a mound with steep, delicate, slippery rims and are fenced and posted for good reason: in 2000 Lisa O'Shea died after jumping in to save two dogs, while Andy Crowell survived with second- and third-degree burns over 80% of his body; BLM settled the resulting wrongful-death suit for $1 million. Even the runoff streams stay scalding for some distance. A soaking tub about 50 yards downstream on private property is the only cooled water; the fenced source pools are strictly a viewpoint.

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 primitive site means here

Primitive springs have no facilities: no changing rooms, no trash service, often no maintained road to the pool. Expect natural rock or gravel bottoms, water temperature that varies by spot and season, and other visitors who may treat the site informally. Pack out everything you bring, test the water before entering, and leave the pool cleaner than you found it.

Fact sheet

Source temp (historical)	180°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	Friends of Black Rock-High Rock — Hot Springs safety page (Double HS warnings)