California Central East
Carson River Hot Springs
Aahhh!! … Oooooh… YEeeeeeEEES!!!! … sharing info since 1995
Aahhh!! … Oooooh… YEeeeeeEEES!!!! … sharing info since 1995
California Central East
This is a popular hot springs that is fairly easy to access in a truck, jeep, or SUV via the Leviathan mine road. The bumpy road will take 1-2 hours to drive. You will know you are close when the road forks. Continue on a little farther downstream and the springs will be across the river. The water is very nice at the main pool!
Unfortunately, Carson River Hot Springs is difficult to find, and the bumpy road requires a 4wheel drive SUV. Also, it sounds like there might be a water pollution problem.
Please do your research to make sure you can get to it accurately and safely.
Neither "Barney Riley" nor "Carson River" hot springs are listed at the usual GPS source… but if you go somewhere else, check this…
http://www.hotspringsdirectory.com/usa/ca/gps-usa-ca.html
Do you have coordinates of the springs? Not sure how hard they are to find. Probably going out there tomorrow.
Accessed the springs via Leviathan Mine road last weekend. Had no trouble finding the route or navigating the terrain in my Toyota 4×4. It is a long, bumpy road, but the first few miles are the worst, and then it gets smoother. I did not find any closed gates or "no trespassing" signs. The springs were very comfortable, and there were two other groups which arrived shortly after me.
There are several comments on the Leviathan mine.
The Leviathan mine is a super fund site. The mine is leeching sulfuric acid into the water of the East Fork of the Carson River. The Leviathan mine as been contaminating a nine-mile stretch of mountain creeks.
This water is being used by the people in Nevada
12/20/04
We just attempted the Carson Hot Springs trip by road. It seems that the route that you describe is no longer available AT ALL because the ranch property through which one has to drive is “under new ownership.” No nice Mexican man. Big, serious fence made out of highway guardrails with a huge sign that says all trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And I believe him! Don’t bother with the 45 min each way drive to this gate unless you are willing to risk the $3000 fine and 18 months in jail on the chance that the property owner is not there and you feel like you can break through the gate.
We then tried two other routes, but without a very well equipped 4WD vehicle these roads are impassable in winter.
The second route we tried: Continue on Leviathan Mine Rd. past the R turn for the described route. Go a further 4.2 miles to about 6 miles from the 395. You will have passed into California, and finally get to a wide spot in the road with a small logging sign. You need to descend into the Canyon and then at the bottom make a right hairpin to track along the bottom of the canyon. We were nearly unable to get out finding this route impassable to a truck with 4WD in the winter. The river crossings were treacherous because of the thick ice in places.
Even if the route were passable, it is unclear whether or not this trail crosses into The Butthead’s property and thus whether or not a big fence and gate are present.
The third route is described on the California Jeeper’s website as the Barney Riley Trail. Even though Monitor pass is closed in the winter, you can get to this trail (we think!) from Leviathan Mine Rd. You stay on LM Rd., which is very clear, until a seeming T in the road. At this point, go right. You will need to squiggle your way up and around the old Leviathan Mine. We had to stop because the snow was getting to thick for a heavy truck without a locking differential. But Leviathan Mine Road does seem to go all the way through to 89, so I think that if you have the right vehicle and are in for a bit of adventure this could work.
So basically, there is one man who has closed the rights into a public part of the Toiyabe National Forest. And this means that we may no longer be able to reach the hot springs.
Good luck.
7/31/2003- Hot springs were inacessable from leviathan mine road. Gate is locked now. ÊRanch under new ownership. Posted fine of 3000 dollars and up to 18 months inprisonment for tresspassing. Tried to bypass fence with motorcycle. No roads around fence or elsewere. Barney Riley road too rocky to even get motorcycle over with land slides. Would need truck that could climb 18-24 inch rocks. Will stick to getting there by raft.
Ben, USA
06/20/2001- A few more details:
The road was in terrible conditions, I think a 4×4 is a MUST, preferably short and regular (we have a bronco pop-up camper fully ready for rough trips).
When you turn right from leviathan rd it all starts, from the fact it might not say 189. I was following accurate directions and still they weren’t any close to what we went through.
Briefly: SMALL wooden primitive bridges could get you stuck, The gate has a Nice mexican man, he doesn’t want to have to chase the scared cows. On my book i remember they estimated over an hour for the eleven miles. I think it took us two or so. We finally parked and saw the water fall seven feet high in the bent of the river washed off. We had appointment to make that same night at our favorite spring and looked around too fast to find the pools. The one close to where you just cross the river was smelly and shallow, the others we didn’t know if they where down or up river, well after all that no soak, and still we had to go back and believe me didn’t get any better. My Husband, son and I have traveled some difficult roads with our big heavy shell, the one to the carson river hot springs is among my memorable ones, this happened at the end of August 2000.
D
USA
11/24/98- Came across your web-page about hot springs and found my fav. The name for this one is Barny Riley Hot Springs. It is off the old Barny Riley trail of which most of that has been closed over the years by land slides, the US Forest Service and the Sierra Club. You gave good directions, except for the fact that the cattle gate has been replaced by a USF gate and a very large and unaccessible lock. The land between that gate and the Nev/Cal border is owned by some rancher and he has this old man who only speaks Spanish watch the place. He lives in the old rock and wood cabin a couple hundred yards into the property. If you bring him Tequila or beer he will open the gate for you. He is not always there and getting around the gate is almost impossible. We usually take the 2 1/2 bumpy and steep road down from the top.
Dave
Elk Grove, CA. USA
08/18/98- All info on your description is accurate, except that the main spring has been improved this year, much cleaner and more fun. Great camping on site. Rating: A+
Derrick
CA, USA