Tucked Away in Nevada’s ‘Cowboy Corridor’: A Secret Haven of Natural Hot Springs with Idyllic Pools

Nevada is known for its desert landscape, replete with cracked orange dirt and rocky mountain backdrops, nary a lake in sight. However, in the northeastern corner of the state, hidden deep in Nevada’s “Cowboy Corridor,” several vibrant blue hot springs are tucked between the mountains. Down in Ruby Valley, at the Smith Ranch Hot Springs, you can escape the dry, dusty climate and soak in one of several idyllically blue pools.

Located 60 miles (about an hour by car) from Elko, Nevada — one of the nearest cities and a great central hub in the Ruby Valley – these hot springs are a trek from popular tourist destinations like Las Vegas and Reno, a walkable hub of food, art, and outdoor fun. To get to the springs, you’ll take NV-228 South most of the way from Elko, before turning onto a dirt road for the remaining few miles. Be sure to print out instructions ahead of time, as cell service can become nonexistent. That said, the pools’ remote location is well worth the drive, with views of the valley and the Ruby Mountains surrounding them.

The springs are between two major international airports: Reno-Tahoe International (nearly a six-hour drive away) and Salt Lake City International (a four-hour drive away). The Ruby Valley Hot Springs are accessible only by a dirt road but are the perfect detour if you’re traveling along the Cowboy Corridor to Utah or California. Be sure you have the right kind of vehicle — with either all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive — and are prepared for backcountry driving. You can read more about the Nevada dirt road code here, and you can rent a car at any major airport. 

There are four full-sized hot springs in Ruby Valley, the largest of which is about 30 feet long and 30 feet deep, as well as a few smaller pools less ideal for swimming or full submersion. The road down into the valley may be rough, bumpy, and sometimes muddy, but the destination is worth the trouble. In the pale, grassy valley, the land appears to stretch on forever, surrounded by the Ruby Mountains. The hot springs at this location are naturally occurring, imperfectly round pools, similar to a small pond.

The hot springs sit at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit but can vary in temperature depending on size and time of year. Almost entirely undeveloped aside from the dirt road in, the only sign of man-made interference you’ll find here is a small wooden dock on one hot spring and a metal ladder on another. There are no fees to enter the area and swim in the pools, just an expectation to keep the land as you found it for other travelers to enjoy. It’s a wonderful sister location to Fish Lake, Nevada’s remote free-to-access valley hot springs.