Black Rock Hot Springs (Black Rock Point)

First, the water: the smaller, deeper pool is too hot to enter, and the larger shallow one is hot too, so treat this as a place to camp and look rather than a soak. It sits at the foot of the black rock landmark on the north edge of the playa, a stop on the Applegate emigrant trail, in about as dramatic a desert setting as Nevada offers. Getting there means crossing the playa, which must be bone dry; wet, it's impassable. Call Friends of Black Rock-High Rock on 775-625-7848 for conditions, and camp well back from the springs.