Fly Geyser - Nevada, USA

This post is a part of the April A-Z Challenge

There are a few places on Earth which quite literally look Out of the World. They will not feel out of place in a Martian landscape. This next place is one of those.

Fly Geyser, Nevada, USA. Next Stop in the A-Z world tour. This place looks otherworldly. There are 2 things that make it much more unique – It is semi man-made and it lies on private property.

Yes, all this beauty on a private land owned by Todd Jaksick. It is a small geothermal geyser located in Washoe County, Nevada. It is large enough to be seen from the road, but only a few select researchers and photographers have ever been to this place, with permission of course. Owing to its secretive location, it is not a well-known tourist attraction. Which is quite a shame.

Let’s go a bit into its history. There were initially 2 geysers on this property. The first one was created way back in 1916. The owners of the place drilled into the land, looking for water, hoping that it would make the desert area into a farmland. And they were lucky, they did hit water. However, due to some odd stroke of luck the drill hit a geothermal packet of water, resulting in a geyser.

However, this is not the geyser which is spewing away currently. In the 1960s, the hot water somehow got diverted to a place about 100 meters from the original geyser, giving birth to a natural geyser. The first one has gradually subsided, and the younger geyser is still active.

This geyser has now developed into a beautiful multi-coloured hillock surrounded by a slushy pond. The colours are due to minerals, a whole wide range of them, mixing with oxygen in the air. It is surrounded with thermophilic algae, which thrives in such hot environment adding a green and red tinge to the surroundings, accentuating the otherworldly look. The place has developed an ecosystem of its own. With its vivid canvas of colours, many an organism would be willing to hop in there.

Many organizations have attempted to buy this land and open it for the public, but the owners have not budged. The land is bordered by a fence and a locked gate, with spikes adorning it. So, don’t attempt trespassing. There is one alternative though. If you are ever driving your way to the nearby town of Gerlach, look for Bruno’s Restaurant. They can help you reach the owners of this land, who do day tours seasonally for 25-50$ a day.

Bucket-list updated.