Fly Geyser en Nevada, United States

Fly Geyser seems taken from another planet, but it is in the desert of Black Rock, in the North American state of Nevada.

It does not appear in the great tourist guides and, until a few decades ago, it was not even known by the inhabitants of the area. However, everyone agrees that it is a pearl; an accident of the hand of the man that has turned into an almost natural wonder near Gerlach, in the Black Rock desert, to the northwest of the North American state of Nevada.

It is the Fly Geyser, an artificial thermal source of groundwater that does not exceed one and a half meters in height, whose appearance surprises both locals and strangers. The golden, ocher, green and reddish tones of the rocks dot an arid landscape, once devoid of visual appeal. Sometimes it reminds us of Yellowstone National Park.

The Fly Geyser has an approximate height of one and a half meters and a width of almost four meters, if we count the mound on which it sits. The latter is the result of dissolved minerals that began to grow and accumulate. Also, the water that constantly releases the geyser, which at first sight can look like three mountains of different colors, reaches a meter and a half in the air. That water is poured down the terraces in more than thirty ponds over an area of ​​seventy-four acres, that is, thirty hectares.

History

And its appearance in the mid-60s transformed the place. Since then, the curious calcareous structure has remained virtually intact. If possible, its color, the result of an original combination of calcium carbonate sediments left by the waters sliding on the rocks and thermophilic bacteria and algae present in the area, has acquired greater intensity.

It is located in a private property, the imposing Fly ranch has saved it from a secure overcrowding, so that you can only enjoy the wonder that occupies us from a distance. To prevent tourists from entering more than they should, there is a closed door with auctions and a long fence.

Still, there are many who jump the fence to see the geyser better. 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 in the future the Fly Geyser will be open to the public. In fact, there are several organizations that have tried to get hold of the lands on which they settle for that purpose. However, the negotiations have never come to fruition.

Its origin

But let’s go back in time. It was 1917 when, in full exploration work on the Fly ranch, a spring of water was discovered – without a doubt, the most scarce and precious good in desert lands. After the initial euphoria, the finding was dismissed. The reason was not another that its high temperature reached almost 100 degrees that prevented it from being used for livestock or agricultural purposes.

The deposit was recovered from oblivion 50 years later, this time for geothermal purposes, but the initiative stumbled upon another unforeseen event: the waters were not useful for this purpose because they were not very hot, and it was sealed again. Some years later, and by amazement of all, the spring began to spontaneously expel jets at high pressure through different ways of escape: a geyser was born of the most singular.

Location and surroundings of the Fly Geyser

Getting to the place is very simple, 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 the state highway Route 34 until you reach Gerlach. Then you only have to travel thirty-two kilometers to the Hualopal Flat area.

Next to the Fly geyser there are two other similar geysers – although of smaller size, because they barely reached half a meter – that can also be observed from a distance and that were created in a similar way. Something further away and as a previous attempt to drilling in 1917, there is a geyser about three meters high.

«The most precious gift of nature is that it gives us the pleasure of looking around and trying to understand what we see.»

                                        -Albert Einstein-

As we have just seen, from the human errors can also come true wonders, as is the case of 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 place full of color.