Visit The Incredible Landscape Of The Fly Geyser In Nevada

The Fly Geyser  is the beautiful result of human error, so it is not a completely natural phenomenon. Even so, its beauty makes it one of the best tourist possibilities for those who move to Nevada, despite not being one of the best known. Do you dare to discover everything about this wonder?

The Origin of the Fly Geyser

At the beginning of the 20th century, farmers in the arid zones of the western United States aimed to take advantage of the groundwater and thus be able to irrigate. Drilling began at the Fly Ranch in 1917, but the water was coming out almost 100 degrees, so extraction was interrupted.

It was not until 1964 when it was decided to take advantage of the geothermal energy of the water of the place. However, the liquid was not hot enough to serve what was initially intended. And although the wells were sealed, somehow pressurized water began to come out at a height of five feet.

The Fly geyser, far from ceasing its activity, began to form various calcareous structures of great beauty that stand out for their color. The latter is the result of the combination of calcium carbonate in the rocks with thermophilic algae that are present in the area at hand.

Some characteristics of the spectacular Fly geyser

The Fly geyser is approximately one and a half meters high and almost four meters wide, if we count the mound on which it sits. The latter is the result of dissolved minerals that began to grow and accumulate.

Likewise, the water that the geyser constantly releases, which at first glance may look like three mountains of different colors, reaches a meter and a half in the air. This water is poured from the terraces into more than thirty ponds over an area of ​​seventy-four acres, that is, thirty hectares.

A phenomenon not open to the public

The Fly Geyser is part of a private property, the Fly Ranch, so you can only enjoy the wonder that occupies us from a certain distance. To prevent tourists from going further than they should, there is a closed gate with finials and a long fence.

Still, there are many who jump over the fence to get a better view of the geyser. Something that, however, is not necessary. The owners accept private visits, as long as they are asked for permission in advance to decide if the tourist in question is authorized to enter their land or not.

We will have to wait then to see if the Fly geyser will be open to the public in the future. In fact, there are several organizations that have tried to take over the land on which it is based for this purpose. However, the negotiations have never been successful.

Fly geyser location and surroundings

Getting to the place is very easy, since the Fly Geyser is located in the Black Rock Desert, northwest of Nevada. You can leave from Reno and drive a couple of hours on State Route 34 to Gerlach. Then you only need to travel thirty-two kilometers to the Hualopal Flat area.

Along with the Fly geyser there are two other similar geysers -although smaller, as they barely reached half a meter- that can also be seen from a distance and that were created in a similar way. Somewhat further afield and as an attempt prior to the drilling carried out in 1917, there is a geyser about three meters high.

As we have just seen, real wonders can also come out of human errors, as is the case with the Fly geyser. Therefore, if you are thinking of taking a trip to the state of Nevada, we hope you do not forget to visit this magical and colorful place.