Sometimes the most exciting adventures are not anywhere you would ever expect. Sometimes you find a spot that you just love, and without going that extra mile, you would have never known existed. It is often in these special places you meet the most interesting of characters as well.
Traveling from Oregon to Mammoth Lakes, we decided to go a little out of our way and hit Virgin Valley Campground in Nevada. There are hot springs all over this area! This particular campground funnels them into some pools. The desert out here has that crisp air to it, and epic sunsets!
There were only a few other people around the campground the night we went, so we got special attention from the camp host. She told us all about her life and boon-docking experiences. She seemed to be an expert on hot springs in the area. A map was drawn, and she pointed us in the direction of Bog Hotsprings as a must-see in the area.
The pools at Virgin Valley campground were probably around 95-98 degrees. They were hot, but not hot enough to want to get in on a cold night. Thus a summer night would be perfect for lounging in the hot springs.
The next morning we set out to find Bog Hotsprings. We continued on down Rt 140 towards Denio Junction but made a left on a dirt road before we got there. After about a mile, we wondered if there would be signs or how we would know where the hot springs were. Finally, we saw a big dirt parking area with one trailer and a few tents dispersed around. Still not seeing the water, we parked and got out to look around. Sure enough, the entire creek was hot and we had it all to ourselves.
I have to say, these hot springs were awesome! However, when we went, we ended up getting out earlier than we had planned because we started to get itchy and realized there were tiny little red bugs on us. So, we recommend avoiding sitting near or on any rocks or plant life. If you can just stay in the middle of the water you will avoid the bugs. Thankfully we had a chance to shower off in the trailer right away before driving on to Mammoth Lakes.
