Alkali Flat Hot Spring: Calcium & Magnesium Carbonates Rockhounding in Esmeralda County, Nevada

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Esmeralda County

State

Nevada

Nearest road

Silver Peak Road

Coordinates

37.82550, -117.33823

Geology at Alkali Flat Hot Spring

This spot sits on Younger tuffaceous sedimentary rocks, mapped as sedimentary and volcanic that formed roughly 23 to 3 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this weathers into rocky slopes and float, and fresh exposures in cuts and drainages are usually the most productive places to look.

Mapped unit

Younger tuffaceous sedimentary rocks

Age

23–3 Ma (Miocene to Pliocene)

Rock types

sedimentary and volcanic

Elevation

5,000 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Best time to visit Alkali Flat Hot Spring

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 47°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 25°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GOLDFIELD station (10 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• BLM Nevada — Recreation
• Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
• Royal Peacock Opal Mine (fee-dig operator)
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules

Found at Alkali Flat Hot Spring

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• Calcium
• Magnesium Carbonates
• HaliteEncyclopedia →