Fly Geyser is located 119 miles from Reno Nevada, At County Rd 34, Gerlach, NV 89412
20 miles past the small town of Gerlach, and is on Fly Ranch. The Fastest way to Fly Geyser From Reno Nevada is I-80 East towards Fernley Nevada, Take exit 43 then turn north on 447 towards Wadsworth. Travel 96 miles north to fly Ranch.
Before planning a trip to Fly Geyser, you must make reservations in advance with the Fly Ranch Nature Walk. The Fly Ranch is owned and operated by friends of the black rock-high rock. They offer 3 hour Guided tours that include stunning views of the fly ranch and fly Geyser. The tour guide will ask you to leave cameras and phones in the car. Near the end of the walk, they will give you plenty of time to retrieve your cameras and take photos. The ecology is very fragile, so please do not trespass. You can purchase tickets and make reservations here at with the fly Ranch Nature walks.
My Recommended Journey
The Geyser is 228 miles from the heart of Reno and the shortest distance and takes 2 hours 10 minutes to get there, according to mapquest. Still, from experience, it takes slightly over two and a half hours. I like to travel the Road Less followed. Make a two or three-day trip and explore. From Reno take I-80 east to exit 18 head north on Pyramid HWY 445, it turns into a scenic drive, and you will often see wild horses. Once on the Paiute Indian reservation stop at the Indian bait shop on the left, check out pictures of cutthroat trout caught recently and, if inclined, pick up a fishing license and try your luck. (My Personal record cutthroat was just shy of 9 lbs). Continue to take a right-hand turn on 446.
On the opposite side of the Lake, The rock formation That Gives this beautiful desert lake its name towers above the surface. While Skirting the shoreline to Nixon, Nevada takes this opportunity to check out the popcorn rock formations on the shore. If you would like to Know more about Pyramid lake, check out this article. Your Next Town Is Nixon Nevada a small 6 square mile town with a population of around 400. I always like to stop grab a drink and talk with the locals. The Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe Museum & Visitor Center is located Here. ( camping permits are sold here). Head north on State Route 34 for 8 miles, Detour Right on the dirt road to see the Pyramid rock formation close up. I have camped here several times. It can get windy, but the lake and fishing in this area are amazing ( due to sand drifts, four-wheel drives are highly recommended. Once you are back on your way, head back up the route to Gerlach Nevada. The guide for the tour will meet you at The Friends of the Black Rock Gerlach Office 320 Main St Gerlach, NV 89412, where you carpool to Fly Ranch.
In Gerlach, I recommend you fill up at the shell station. You Always Want to go prepared in the desert. If you are not camping out, check-in at Bruno’s motel, Hit the little casino, and the excellent food for a fair price. The locals are friendly here, so if it is possible to visit a couple of local shops like Planet X Pottery, Empire Store, and Black Rock Mud Company.
If you’re going to rough it overnight load up on supplies and I would recommend hitting the playa Where burning man is held 11 miles past Gerlach. It is windy around 2PM, but it usually dies down after sunset, Fly Ranch is 20 miles past Gerlach this is private land so no camping. There is plenty of BLM land to camp on.
Fly Geyser almost wasn’t
Something you may not know Fly Geyser is human-made. In the mid-1800s, a farmer drilled the first well on the fly ranch in the attempt to sustain agriculture in the desert. After drilling into the 200-degree geothermal water, The Geyser was left spewing water because it had too many minerals for growing. In 1964 U.S. Gypsum contracted Western Geothermal to survey a second well. The U.S. Gypsum mining company opened in 1948 near empire Nevada And was looking for an inexpensive power source. However, the water was still only 200 degrees too cold to produce electricity. This well was located just a few hundred feet from the first irrigation well. And after a poor job at capping the well, the pressure escaped in a few spots robbing the water and pressure from the original geyser site. If not for the Poor attempt of Western Geothermal, what is now known as fly Geyser Would not look like it does today.
What makes the colors of Fly Geyser
Fly Geyser is not a massive Geyser by any means. The stalagmite shaped cone-formed like an upside-down stalactite. A cone forms from years of trace minerals deposited by the continuous flow of water over it. Fly Geyser only stands 12 feet tall, including the broad base and 5-foot cone. Most geysers are dirty white from trace amounts of calcium carbonate. The Geyser sprays only about 6 feet into the air (a far cry from old faithful nearly 200 feet). I believe Fly Geyser colors are different From most geysers. On the fly ranch walks, they request you leave all your electronic devices behind so you can connect with the land and enjoy it without distractions.
Exploring the area
If you have some time to explore nearby, is Lund petrified forest (23.6 miles past fly Geyser). There are a few Hot springs on public land near Gerlach and Fly Geyser. Black rock hot springs to the northeast of the playa and Trego hot springs named after a railroad stop owned by Western Pacific and frog springs
Witch is on Garrett ranch, but in July 2018 three people reported getting sick after bathing there according to the Reno Gazette-Journal
If you are exploring the area and decide to take a relaxing dip in one of the hot springs, be very careful. Hot springs are created by the thinning of the earth’s crust forming pockets of water upwards. Nevada has more geothermal potential than perhaps any other state in the country, making hot springs abundant and, in some cases, too hot. 95 to 105 deg. Fahrenheit is a relaxing and comfortable temperature. The temperatures can change rapidly in some cases causing severe burns or, in rare cases, death. Deaths, in most cases, are people falling into the hot water even though there are warning signs posted. Most desert hot springs have no warning signs I recommend bringing a thermometer to test the water. I use a meat thermometer from my backyard BBQ.
