There are a variety of tranquil, soothing natural hot springs throughout Nevada. Illustration by Mike Miller.

Natural hot springs around the world draw visitors seeking relaxation or relief from body aches. In earlier times, whole towns grew up around these resources where people bathed and drank the hot mineral waters for enjoyment and therapy. Although today's spas and medical treatments supplant the old resorts where people "took the waters," many folks still believe in the efficacy of a good soak in natural hot mineral springs.

Nevada boasts geothermal springs throughout the state, some developed for bathing, others left as created by our geology. People visiting undeveloped hot springs must be wary of water too hot for bathing and warm water that supports microscopic life that can be a nuisance or even dangerous. Obey all warning signs posted at such places. The National Park Service warns hikers and boaters accessing hot springs along the Colorado River in Lake Mead National Recreation Area about a nasty amoeba that enters the body through the nose. Signs at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nye County recommend that bathers in a small warm water lake "towel off briskly" to discourage a critter that causes itchy skin irritations.

The developed sites offer pools or bath houses where the water stays hot enough to relax, but not hot enough to parboil. While the rule at wild springs is "bathers beware," developed springs filter out pests and manage temperatures.

Established in 1862, David Walley's Hot Springs near Genoa remains Nevada's most famous geothermal spa. The largest spa at a natural hot spring in the state, it offers seven pools of varying temperatures, steam baths, massages, lodging and dining, a far cry from the original 50-cent soak under a tent. The resort appeals to skiers in the nearby Sierras and visitors to the Carson Valley any time of year. Contact the resort at (775) 782-8155 or visit www.davidwalleys.com.

The hot springs for which the town of Caliente was named still exist, the natural outflow captured in bathing facilities at the Caliente Hot Springs Motel. Developed as a railroad town a century ago on the site of pioneer ranch, Caliente lies about 160 miles north of Las Vegas on U.S. 93 in Lincoln County. Call the motel for information or reservations at (775) 726-3777.

Bailey's Hot Springs lies five miles north of Beatty on U.S. 95, about 120 miles from Las Vegas in Nye County. It occupies a site that in 1906 served as a watering stop on a railroad that disappeared decades ago. The resort maintains a 14-site RV park and bath houses for guests. The facility also rents out two large bath houses by the hour for drop-in visitors. For details, call (775) 553-2395.

The spring at Bailey's and several others north of Beatty feed the Amargosa River, a strange desert watercourse that runs underground much of the way. Warm springs and creeks within the Ash Meadows refuge add to the Amargosa. It ends in California at Badwater in Death Valley National Park.

Neighboring desert towns of Shoshone and Tecopa, Calif., capitalize on warm springs along the Amargosa. In Shoshone, a motel and RV campground feature a war water swimming pool fed by natural hot springs. Dating from mining boom days in the late 1800s, the town backs up to cliffs carved by the Amargosa River that early miners excavated to create dugout homes. Shoshone sits at the junction of California Highway 127 and Highway 178, a main road to Death Valley from Pahrump.

Tecopa lies about 10 miles from Shoshone off Highway 127. The community grew up around natural hot springs, historically important to native people and later to travelers on the Old Spanish Trail. Tecopa boasts developed bathing facilities at both public and private spas. The public bathhouses for men and women built in 1930 remain open free of charge. The facilities are old-fashioned, but quite clean. At this time of year, snowbirds crowd an adjacent RV parking area. Privately owned spa facilities in Tecopa feature hot mineral baths, RV campgrounds and overnight accommodations. Runoff from the area's hot springs feed nearby Grimshaw Lake and adjacent marshlands, creating an area popular with migrating waterfowl and other kinds of birds.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.