Touring California and Nevada Hot Springs (Touring Guides)
Whether you're a practicing balneologist (one who seeks the  healing properties of natural hot springs) or just an occasional  dipper, this book steers you toward the natural baths from Surprise  Valley in Northern California to the Mexico/California border. By the  looks of the overview map, there may be more hot springs than casinos  in Nevada, with warm waters to suit both your style and desire for  adventure. Steamboat Hot Springs, 11 miles south of Reno, provides  visiting gamblers with a resort-style respite, in contrast to the  primitive Gold Strike Hot Spring, found in a narrow valley near the  Colorado River. This spring requires a 4-mile round-trip hike and some  boulder scrambling "with substantial drop-offs"; the hot  waterfalls and canyon views are reportedly worth the effort. Names such  as "Crab Cooker," "Dirty Socks," and "Terminal  Geyser," combined with tempting black-and-white photos, make you  want to grab a towel and head west.