Some complain that it takes a pretty imaginative beholder to find beauty in southern Nevada's desert, but the problem may be due to not looking closely enough. Thanks to geothermal activity, the wild underside of our land, Nevada has been blessed with about three hundred of these oases. Along the faults between mountain ranges, water can circulate to superheated depths, resulting in thermal wells and spring clusters. Historically, hot springs were far from overlooked. Native Americans and miners enjoyed them for swimming, bathing, even healing.
Many today swear by hot mineral baths for relief from everything from gout to rheumatism.
But if you could conjure up an oasis in the desert, he says, Ash Springs would be it. Found on BLM land just off U.S. Route 93 north of Las Vegas, along a dirt road across from R Place, the spring is surrounded by lush vegetation amid a sea of dry grass and brush. The spring spills over into a natural shallow pond pleasantly shaded by huge, venerable cottonwood trees. One of the more isolated hot springs is on the Kirch Wildlife Management Area, also called Sunnyside, just off State Route 318. At this state-owned waterfowl hideaway and favorite fishing spot, Hot Creek Springs offers a nearly pristine setting with stunning views of the nearby mountains.