Fly Geyser
State Route 34, Fly Ranch
Gerlach, NV
A glowing, many-colored mound spitting water into the desert, a geyser made entirely by accident and now one of Nevada's strangest wonders.
Fly Geyser looks like something from another planet: a series of small, dripping mounds glowing in vivid reds, oranges, and greens, spitting jets of water several feet into the air, all set against the flat, tan emptiness of the Black Rock Desert. The colors come from heat-loving algae, and the growing mound is travertine, the same mineral that builds cave formations, laid down grain by grain by the escaping water.
The strangest part is that none of it is natural. Fly Geyser is an accident, the result of well drilling gone wrong, that has been quietly building itself into a desert marvel for decades. It sits on private land now owned by the nonprofit behind Burning Man, and seeing it up close has become one of the more memorable side trips in northern Nevada.
What Guests Love
- The surreal, dripping mound in shades of red, orange, and green against the bare desert
- Knowing the whole thing was created by accident, not by nature
- The wide-open Black Rock Desert setting, huge and quiet
- Guided walks that get you close and explain the geology and the ecology of the ranch
Worth Knowing
- Fly Geyser is on private land and cannot be reached on your own; access is only through scheduled Fly Ranch nature walks
- For years you could only glimpse it from the highway fence; the guided walks are the way to see it properly now
- It is remote, so plan for gas, water, and a long desert drive
- Tours run seasonally and fill up, so reserve ahead through the Fly Ranch program
Details
Gerlach, NV
Learn about Fly Geyser
A geyser made by mistake
The story begins with people trying to find water in a dry country. In 1916, homesteaders drilled a well here hoping for irrigation water, but they hit water so hot it was useless and abandoned the hole, which slowly grew its own small mineral cone over the years.
Then in 1964, an energy company drilled again nearby, testing the ground for geothermal power. The water was around two hundred degrees, not hot enough for their purposes, and the well was left uncapped. Scalding, mineral-rich water has been escaping from it ever since, building the colorful mounds you see today and pushing up the jets that give Fly Geyser its name. It is, in effect, a wound in the earth that turned into a wonder.
The colors and the mound
As the hot water flows over the mound and cools, it leaves behind travertine, calcium carbonate, building the terraces higher year by year. The brilliant colors are living things: thermophilic algae that thrive in the warm, mineral water and paint the surfaces in reds, oranges, and greens.
The result is a set of surreal, dripping cones surrounded by small terraced pools, constantly wet and steaming, that look more like coral or a fever dream than anything you expect in the Nevada desert.
Fly Ranch and how to visit
For decades Fly Geyser sat behind a locked ranch gate, and travelers could only glimpse its distant colors from State Route 34. In 2016 the Burning Man Project purchased Fly Ranch, the roughly thirty-eight-hundred-acre property that surrounds the geyser, and worked to open respectful access.
Today the way to see Fly Geyser is on a guided nature walk run in partnership with the local nonprofit Friends of Black Rock-High Rock. The walks lead across the ranch to the geyser and its wetlands and explain the geology and the surprising web of life the warm water supports. You cannot simply drive up, so plan around a scheduled tour.
The Black Rock Desert
Fly Ranch lies at the edge of the Black Rock Desert, one of the largest flat expanses in North America, a dry lakebed so smooth and empty it has been used for land-speed records and, each year, for the temporary city of Burning Man. It is a landscape of enormous scale and silence.
The ranch itself, watered by its hot springs, is an unexpected oasis in that emptiness, drawing birds and wildlife to its wetlands. The surrounding country holds hot springs, playa, and long views to distant ranges.
When to go
The guided walks generally run in the warmer months, roughly spring through fall, and sell out, so book ahead. Summer on the playa can be very hot, so early-day tours are the most comfortable.
Because it is so remote, treat a visit as a real desert outing: full tank, water, sun protection, and no expectation of services once you leave Gerlach.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Gerlach
Black Rock Desert
Adjacent
A vast, dead-flat playa famous for land-speed records and the annual Burning Man gathering, otherworldly and utterly silent.
Gerlach
About 20 miles southwest
The tiny gateway town to the Black Rock, a classic end-of-the-road desert settlement with a bar, a diner, and hot springs nearby.
Pyramid Lake
About 60 miles southwest
A stunning desert lake on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation, known for its tufa formations and giant cutthroat trout.