Where to Begin
Begin searching on the HSE Search
Page, or search for listings by state on the US
Hot Springs Page. Data from these pages comes from the National
Geophysical Data Center's (NGDC) Listings. They have compiled a comprehensive
list of Geothermal Springs in the United States.
Obtaining a Map
Once you have located a spring and you want to know more about it, you
need a map. Topographic maps of the US are now available online, and printable,
at the TopoZone web site! (Thank
you, TopoZone!) Click on the spring name found in the results of your
search, or in the 'NGDC listings'
section of the state page you are interested
in. This will automatically provide the latitude and longitude coordinates
needed to create a TopoZone topographic map with your spring located in
the very center. Amazing! It's just like magic!
TopoZone displays detailed Quadrangle maps obtained from the United
States Geological Survey (USGS). These maps contain topographical and
trail information of the area where the spring is located. The map may
have the spring marked on it.
You can purchase paper USGS Quad maps. Lists of map dealers who supply
USGS Quadrangle maps are provided (grouped by state) on the
USGS Store online (just click on "USGS Store"). You can order Quadrangle maps online there, if
you know which one you are looking for. Most of the map names are listed
in the tables on this site.
Topographic USGS Quad maps will show you the specific location of the
spring, however you must determine it's general location. This is not
difficult. My method is to go to maps.google.com,
and and enter the latitude and longitude coordinates of the spring like
so: "+38.168, -105.924" in the box at the top. You can then
zoom out as much as is necessary to get an understanding of the spring's
general location and then you can obtain the appropriate paper maps from
your local map dealer or online.
Once you get on the road
Keep in mind that springs can be on private property or no longer flowing,
and many other unpredictable events can occur. My philosophy is that every
spring is an adventure. The spring you may find may be no more than a
muddy hole, but it's still special in it's own way. Also, it's better
than finding no spring at all - which will happen sometimes. But even
then you're not finding nothing because, in the words of one
hot springs enthusiast, "although you may climb the mountain, the
hot spring is everywhere."
Some other links and things
- Map sites:
 Map
Tools- Online
topo map sales
- Omnimap
site
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