Big Blue (A) Spring
Big Blue (A) Spring emerges at 90°F on open BLM public land near Tonopah, running 37 degrees warmer than the surrounding high desert air. At 5,480 feet elevation, the spring requires a short walk of about 520 feet from Western States Mine Road. The "(A)" designation indicates it is one of multiple springs in the area sharing the name.
The spring sits in the remote basin-and-range terrain of central Nye County, where sagebrush flats stretch between parallel mountain ridges under an expansive sky. At 5,480 feet, the high desert landscape experiences genuine winters with nearly 30 inches of annual snowfall, yet receives only 8.3 inches of total precipitation. The surrounding valleys are sparsely vegetated with Great Basin scrub—greasewood, rabbitbrush, and native bunchgrasses. Tonopah, the nearest town, lies along US-6 to the northwest.
Little documented history exists for Big Blue (A) Spring beyond its inclusion in the 1980 NOAA thermal springs inventory. The name likely references the blue-tinged water characteristic of deep carbonate-aquifer discharges. The spring sits on BLM land managed by the Tonopah Field Office under a protection status that permits extractive use, suggesting potential past or present mining or grazing interests in the area.
The spring is open to public access year-round, reached via a short walk from Western States Mine Road, an unpaved route best suited to high-clearance vehicles. Winter visits between November and March may encounter snow and icy roads at this elevation. Carry sufficient water and fuel, as services in this part of Nye County are extremely limited. Summer mornings are the most pleasant time to visit, before afternoon heat sets in.
Is Big Blue (A) Spring worth visiting?
Best for
- Warm-water soaking