Warm Springs, Nevada

Finding a forgotten stop in the Nevada desert has its own kind of pull. Warm Springs catches that feeling in one glance, because it is three places at once: a hot spring site, a former stage stop, and one of those ghost towns that seem stranded between centuries.

Still, set your expectations early. This is not a developed soaking spot. It is a historic roadside ruin on private property at the junction of US 6 and State Route 375, the start of the Extraterrestrial highway. That makes it an easy add-on for an alien-country road trip, if you want history with your empty desert miles.Just west across the Extraterrestrial highway from Ash Springs/Crystal Springs and Close to Area 51.

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Ash Springs / Crystal Springs, Nevada

There are stretches of US-93 in southern Nevada where the land looks half asleep, all pale dirt and blue distance, and then, almost absurdly, water appears. Ash Springs and Crystal Springs are part of that small miracle, two clear-water stops in the Pahranagat Valley near Alamo that roadtrippers and bird watchers tend to mention in the same breath.

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Hines Pond Hot Spring, Oregon

Millpond Hot Spring is a spring in Oregon at an elevation of 4,160 feet above sea level. Hidden at the edge of the Oregon timberlands, Hines Pond Hot Spring is a geothermal vent on the edge of Hines Pond. It is located to the hamlet known as Indian Village. Its waters, quietly steaming beside old logging routes, beckon spring lovers with a different kind of magic; remote, enduring, and unspoiled by crowds.

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Stratton Spring (Manitou Springs, CO)

Stratton Spring was drilled in 1936 by the Myron Stratton Foundation., The soda-type spring has a controlled flow of two gallons per minute and is drilled to a depth of 167 feet. This site was the junction of early Indian trails and several major mineral springs. Later it became the major access to the Mount Manitou Incline and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and was the loop were Stratton’s Trolley Line reversed to return to Colorado Springs.

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The Magic and Minerals of Manitou Springs

The little touristy village of Manitou Springs is most famous for its mineral springs, which well up through eight fonts (previously ten fonts, upwards of 50 springs) peppered throughout the town. These springs are free to visit, and each holds its own variation of minerals, magic, folklore, and healing properties that visitors have sought throughout the ages. Each has its unique flavor, natural carbonation, and effervescence.

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Lithia / Crosby / Twin Springs (Manitou Springs, Co)

This is one of the more popular springs along Ruxton Avenue due to its high Lithium content. Two springs combine into one, pouring through this font. The water is very sweet, high in lithium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and a top-rated water source for making sweet carbonated lemonade water. Others describe the taste as sweet, tangy, and minerally. Of all the Manitou Springs, it has the highest concentration of magnesium. The font is located outside a storefront entrance.

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