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40º 51' 33.35" N 119º 19' 54.70" W

Fly Geyser is said to be Nevada's Best Kept secret. People from all over the world have seen pictures of this amazing place yet no one knows where it is. It is located about 20 miles north of Gerlach, Nevada on State Route 34. These hot springs sit on Fly Ranch, which is private property. Unfortunately, Fly Geyser is not open to the public so it can almost be said 'don't even ask'.

That does not mean you can not admire this wonder of nature. Traveling via Rt 34 they display themselves from a distance. It is not hard to tell whether you are going in the right direction because the water plumes, which shoot up several feet in the air, can be seen from miles away.

Even though nature has sculptured these hot springs through calcium carbonate deposits and painted them deep, vibrant rusty, reddish and green colors, which are a result of thermophilic algae flourishing in moist and hot environments, it is not a natural spring.

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Artsey Images of Fly Geyser through special filters are used in magazines and art photos. The pictures below are more real world images.

These ponds are forming an ecosystem, with small fish and birds such as swans and mallards enjoying the geyser. Its rainbow coloration comes from the various minerals that are in the water reacting with oxygen in the air and by thermophilic algae which as a heat tolerant microorganism which thrives in this sort of hot environment.

Spout of the largest head pumps out heavy mineral rich water. Hot water spouts out heavily from several openings building up minerals deposits through the years. Real photos can only try to capture the true colors The three 'rear' spouts are known as the three buddhas for obvious reasons. The area is covered with thick marsh grass and tollie weeds nearly all year round. The hot water terraces off into pools and ponds. Warm pools of water cover the area from the geyser's drainage. In the 1960's a geothermal company drilled a well, testing for a possible energy source. Since the water was not hot enough to suit the purpose, they abandoned the well. It is not quite certain whether they capped it and the cap started leaking or whether it was left uncapped. Either way dissolved minerals in the leaking site started rising and accumulating, creating the travertine mound on which the geyser now sits and continues growing. Water is constantly being released under pressure, reaching some five to six feet (1.5 m) in the air. The geyser contains several terraces discharging water into 30 to 40 pools over an area of 74 acres. One of the typical warm spring pools Warm water pools fill the local area, almost hidden by the high marsh grass. A make-shift swimming dock floats out into one of the pools. Ideal for swimming..

The colors change constantly depending on the season and how much water is on them. While one can capture excellent photos of the breath taking colors nothing can compare with actually viewing them in person.

A prior well-drilling attempt in 1917 resulted in the creation of a man-made geyser close to the currently active Fly Geyser; it created a pillar of calcium carbonate about 12 feet (3.7 m) tall .It was known as the Leadville Geyser due to its relative location to Leadville, Nevada. Today it is known by the locals as "The Old Man"  In the early 60's someone shot at it and caused enough damage to halt the flow of water. This left several years of stunted growth until the contained pressure was sufficient to start the water flowing again. Today it can be seen across the pond from Fly Geyser standing alone in its own field.

Formerly known as the Leadville Geyser, the Old Man Geyser stands in its own field. A bullet strike stopped the flow of hot water back in the early 60's. Today the Old Man is back in steady action.

Another Geyser on the property is a colorful volcano shaped cone about 5 feet tall. It almost goes unseen along the entrance road, neatly tucked away in the tollie brush. Probably begun in the 70's, Mt.St.Gerlach is yet another Geyser, maybe less easy to see unless you really look along the roadway.

A small geyser builds in  the thick surrounding tollie brush.

The hidden geyser stands nearly five feet tall with hot water bubbling over peacefully

In April 202 disaster struck when nature let go of one of the faces of the geyser collapsing a large portion of it.

Fly Geyser is on Private Property. A board walk has been constructed to accommodate tourists trade. Before visiting contact the Friends Of Black Rock for tour information. One can still view the Geyser from the road as it can be seen for several miles, if you know what to look for.