A campsite with hot springs located within a wildlife refuge.
Only minimal development had taken place, and there were scattered remains from the Great Depression era.
Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931.
It is located on the border between Nevada and Oregon, and the majority of it is on the Nevada side.
This area is located in a dry volcanic zone and has been designated as a protected area for the ecosystem of endemic species such as pronghorn.
An interesting indicator of how remote a place, can be the distance from the nearest McDonald's restaurant.
One point within the protected area is 115 miles away from the nearest McDonald, and is said to be the farthest away from a Big Mac in the continental United States (there are a variety of opinions on this.).
One of the main sources of water is warm springs.
And a campground that uses this water is operated.
There is no charge for camping.
You can use one of the 12 camp sites for up to 14 days on a first-come, first-served basis.
It is a very primitive campsite with a pit toilet and picnic tables, and there is no place to dispose of garbage.
There were many meaningful ruins scattered around the grounds.
To begin with, this campground has a history of having been developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a 1930s program to combat unemployment, part of the New Deal, which engaged young people in camps and other activities and provided them with job training.
At the Shower House, the building from that time was still in use.
Dark Green Source
The shower house was right next to the spring, and it was not separated by gender.
The inside was spacious, and there were showers at the back of the changing area.
The natural hot spring water, which had no taste or smell, was poured out continuously.
It would have been even better if there had been tubs...
After cleaning yourself in the shower, go to the waterhole.
It was about 30 feet in diameter and about 5 feet deep.
The water was dark green and cloudy, and it was thought that this was mainly due to the effect of phytoplankton.
While soaking in the pool, I was bitten by lots of little fish.
The water temp was 88 degrees F.
The water seemed to be gushing up from the bottom of the pond, and the pipes leading the water to the shower house were connected.
The overflowing water went straight to the wildlife colony.
In my case, I was a little worried about hygiene, so don't forget to take a shower after you've finished.
Summary
Virgin Valley Campground & Warm Spring, Denio, Nevada, U.S.
My rating
Type: Walk-in, Lodging (campground)
Rule: Clothing required
Chemical use: Not detected
Water temp: Up to 88 degrees F
