- Fee
- none (free public access, Travel Nevada)
- Hours
- Open 24 hours (Travel Nevada)
- Season
- Year-round (no agency season stated)
- Coordinates
- 39.3270, -116.8582
The NOAA Thermal Springs List gives a source temperature of 162°F (72°C) for this spring. The land is managed by Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain District (Mount Lewis Field Office per BLM admin boundaries; Tonopah Field Office ran the 2025 cleanup). Fee: none (free public access, Travel Nevada).
Spencer Hot Springs is a cluster of natural springs at the north end of the Big Smoky Valley, southeast of Austin in Lander County, Nevada. The springs are on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Battle Mountain District, and BLM boundary data place the site within the Mount Lewis Field Office. Water from the springs is piped into metal stock tanks and also feeds a natural earthen pool, set among open sagebrush with the Toiyabe and Toquima ranges on either side of the valley.
The site is a drive-up stop on a dirt road southeast of Austin. The BLM describes it as primitive, with no toilets, drinking water, or other services. Travel Nevada, the state tourism agency, lists access as free and open 24 hours a day. Primitive camping on the surrounding BLM land is first-come, first-served, and Travel Nevada states that campsites must be at least 100 yards from any water source, since the springs supply wildlife in the dry basin. Fire restrictions on BLM land in central Nevada change with the season.
On September 27, 2025, the BLM Battle Mountain District held a National Public Lands Day cleanup at the springs, where volunteers removed trash and graffiti and replaced worn fire rings. Toquima Cave, a rock shelter that Shoshone people used 1,500 to 3,000 years ago and that holds a large number of pictographs, is about a 30-minute drive to the east. Austin, a historic silver mining town on U.S. Route 50, is the nearest town and the source of fuel and supplies.
Getting there and local rules
- Road: From Austin via US-50 and NV-376, then a dirt road (BLM road 206 per OnX); no agency description of road condition found.
- Trail: Drive-up site; pools next to the dirt road.
- Camping: Primitive camping first-come, first-served on BLM land; campsites at least 100 yards from any water source (Travel Nevada). No toilets or water on site (BLM).
- Camp at least 100 yards from water sources (Travel Nevada)
- Pack out trash; no services on site
History
- On Sept 27, 2025, BLM Battle Mountain District held a National Public Lands Day cleanup at the springs, removing trash and graffiti and replacing fire rings.
- Toquima Cave, a Shoshone rock shelter used 1,500 to 3,000 years ago with extensive pictographs, lies about 30 minutes east (Travel Nevada).
Weather by month near Spencer
The nearest NOAA climate station with 30-year normals is Austin #2, about 16 miles away at 6,780 ft. Its average daily high peaks at 85.9°F in Jul, and the coldest nights average 24.7°F in Dec. Normal snowfall there adds up to about 64 inches a year. Conditions at the place itself can differ, especially with a large change in elevation.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42.2 | 26.2 | 1.22 | 10.4 |
| Feb | 43.9 | 26.1 | 1.15 | 12.9 |
| Mar | 50.3 | 31 | 1.46 | 11.8 |
| Apr | 55.5 | 34.4 | 1.64 | 8.4 |
| May | 65.1 | 42.7 | 1.86 | 2.6 |
| Jun | 76.2 | 50.6 | 0.61 | 0.9 |
| Jul | 85.9 | 59.3 | 0.58 | 0 |
| Aug | 83.8 | 57.7 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Sep | 75 | 50.2 | 0.64 | 0.3 |
| Oct | 62.1 | 39.9 | 0.53 | 0.8 |
| Nov | 49.3 | 30.7 | 1.11 | 6.8 |
| Dec | 40.5 | 24.7 | 1.14 | 8.7 |
Other springs within 60 miles
From the NOAA list, by straight-line distance from Spencer. Most of these are not developed sites and some are on private land.
- Unnamed spring6 mi southn/a
- Potts Ranch Hot Springs21 mi southeast113°F
- Hot Spring22 mi southeast124°F
- Dianas Punch Bowl23 mi southeast138°F
- Charnock (Big Blue) Springs25 mi southwest80°F
- McLeod Ranch Hot Spring25 mi southwest180°F
- Big Blue (A) Spring28 mi south90°F
- Klobe (Bartholomae) Hot Spring28 mi east156°F
Sources: NOAA NCEI, Thermal Springs List for the United States (source temperature, about 1980); blm.gov; blm.gov; travelnevada.com; carto.nationalmap.gov; gis.blm.gov; gis.blm.gov; NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020. Facts checked October 2026.
Source temperature from the NOAA Thermal Springs List (measured around 1980). Conditions, access and rules change; check with Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain District before you go. This page is for trip planning only.