Potts Ranch Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Potts Ranch Hot Springs is a primitive hot spring listed near Belmont, Nevada. Reported soak temperature: 101°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Warm clear spring water (~113F at source, ~100F in the tub) piped via movable black poly pipes into a metal soaking tank beside the historic Potts Ranch ruins in Monitor Valley, ~16 mi south of Nevada's geographic center — private ranch land where day use has long been tolerated; drain the tub when done.
Checked October 2025 · based on recent visitor reports · 6 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Tolerated access — verified below — confirm via USGS OFR 74-1066 — Pott's Ranch Hot Spring chemistry (45C measured).
- Cost: Reported free access — fees and permits can change, confirm before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 101°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; reported dog-friendly.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: No formal permit — private ranch land with historically tolerated day use; ask locally / respect posted signs.
- Best time to go: Cooler months; tub water runs only ~100F so cold wind makes getting out brutal (per a Feb 2012 report where the visitors skipped soaking). Essentially never crowded.
- Clothing reality: No posted policy — private ranch land, very few visitors; clothing-optional in practice.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Reached over graded Monitor Valley dirt roads then rutted ranch tracks; vehicle can park near the tub site but ground is marshy/uneven.
- PRIVATE LAND: springs sit on the historic Potts Ranch property (abandoned but privately owned ranch) — day use has been tolerated historically; NO camping; respect any posted signs and gates
- Tub etiquette per the American Discovery Trail guide: fill the tank with 1-3 movable black pipes to control temperature; DRAIN THE TUB when you leave
- One 2022 community comment claims the tub 'did not exist in February 2020 — it was on private land and disassembled' — but the current ADT guide (2025) again describes a working tub; setup may come and go
- Hot water flows north as steaming creeks across a marshy flat that can ice over in winter — watch for soft boggy ground
- Remote Monitor Valley location on dirt roads; often combined with Diana's Punch Bowl (~4 mi south) and the geographic center monument — note Diana's Punch Bowl itself is on the Monitor Ranch and requires landowner permission
- No cell service; nearest supplies Austin (~30+ mi north via Monitor Valley Rd) or Tonopah via SR 376
- Hazard: Private land — access could be revoked; do not camp
- Hazard: Scalding source vents (~113F) and hot creeks near the marshy flat
- Hazard: Boggy/marshy ground around the springs; ice in winter
- Hazard: Remote dirt-road travel; no cell or services
About this spring
Soaking tub at the abandoned Potts Ranch ghost-town site in Monitor Valley (~4 mi north of Diana's Punchbowl) — ~106°F source piped into a large stock-tank pool; old ranch buildings nearby.
The soak sits beside Potts Ranch, a Monitor Valley ghost ranch in Nye County about 2 miles east of NV-82 at roughly 6,650 feet elevation. William Potts founded the cattle outfit in the 1870s — it was once considered among Nevada's finest, absorbing the Butler, Morgan Creek, and Wilson ranches — and a post office run by Potts family members operated from 1898 to 1941. The family sold to Harvey Sewell and O.G. Bates in 1944; the old ranch house and a stone outbuilding still stand.
The springs drain north as steaming creeks through marshy meadows with the Toquima Range behind. A stock-tank soaking tub is filled by setting one to three black plastic pipes on a metal rail — the number of pipes controls the temperature — and visitors are asked to drain it on leaving; water has been reported around 100–101 °F. Note that a 2020-era report says the tub was disassembled and the property is private, so current status should be verified.
Directions & trailhead access
~2 mi east of NV-82 (Monitor Valley Rd) via dirt road, ~4 mi north of the Diana's Punchbowl turnoff; high clearance.
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.
Best time to visit
October – April (Fall, Winter & Spring)Desert thermal zones experience high summer ambient heat. The cooler months from late autumn to early spring offer the most refreshing ambient conditions for open-air soaking.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 101°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 101°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported dog-friendly |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | USGS OFR 74-1066 — Pott's Ranch Hot Spring chemistry (45C measured) |
Potts Ranch Hot Springs FAQ
Is Potts Ranch Hot Springs open right now?
Warm clear spring water (~113F at source, ~100F in the tub) piped via movable black poly pipes into a metal soaking tank beside the historic Potts Ranch ruins in Monitor Valley, ~16 mi south of Nevada's geographic center — private ranch land where day use has long been tolerated; drain the tub when done. (Status based on recent visitor reports, last checked October 2025.)
Is Potts Ranch Hot Springs free?
Potts Ranch Hot Springs is listed as free to access in Nye County, Nevada. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Potts Ranch Hot Springs?
Potts Ranch Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 101°F and a historical source temperature of 101°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Potts Ranch Hot Springs clothing optional?
Potts Ranch Hot Springs is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Potts Ranch Hot Springs?
Public use of Potts Ranch Hot Springs is tolerated rather than formally authorized — there is no reservation system. Follow posted rules and keep a low profile to preserve access.
Sources & references
- Wikipedia — Potts, Nevada (abandoned ranch; 'hot springs... popular destinations... maintained well enough for modest recreational use') — community · 2025
- HikingAmerica — Nevada ADT guide (tank piped with warm clear water; private ground, no camping, drain the tub) — community · 2025-10
- Looking For Detachment — Potts Ranch Hot Springs trip report (tub fill/drain system, ~100F report, Feb 2012 + 2022 comment claiming disassembly) — community · 2022-11
- USGS OFR 74-1066 — Pott's Ranch Hot Spring chemistry (45C measured) — official · 1974
- USGS GNIS via TopoQuest — Potts Ranch locale (Nye County, Dianas Punch Bowl quad) — official · 2025
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
Your private trip notes
Saved only in this browser — not published or shared.No private notes yet
Keep access details and observations for your own planning.