The Accidental Beauty of Fly Geyser

Nestled within the large stretches of Nevada’s Hualapai Flat, about 30km north of Gerlach, lies an otherworldly spectacle known as Fly Geyser. The very first thing that stands out are the vividly coloured mounds, streaked in emerald greens, rusty reds, and mustard yellows. They essentially rise like a mirage from the desert terrain, all the while emitting plumes of steaming water. It just seems alien. Yet, the yes don't fool and this kaleidoscopic geyser is very real, and also very accidental.

The Fly Geyser is essentially the world's only man-made geyser (Ceausu Cristian)

Human curiosity and its formation

This story begins way back when in 1916, when homesteaders seeking groundwater for irrigation drilled a well into the desert earth (like the humans we are). The idea was to use the water to help water the crops and maintain the agriculture around the area. That is until they realised that the water which came from this particular well neared 93 °C. Clearly unfit for crops, the well was abandoned. Over time, minerals carried in the heated water began solidifying around the hole, growing into a calcium‑carbonate cone which went well above 3 metres.

Fast forward to 1964, when a geothermal company 'rediscovered' this area and basically decided they were too curious to walk away. They drilled a second exploratory well nearby, once again tapping into dangerously hot water. Although they attempted to cap the well, the seals failed which in turn released huge amounts of water at high‑pressure. This inevitably formed a new geyser and the new hole forced the old one into dormancy, shifting all the geothermal into the new spout.

Over the decades, minerals kept layering up and started creating a mound adorned with multiple cone-shaped vents, each constantly releasing steaming water. Today, the geyser stretches approximately 1.5 metres tall and spans over 3.5 metres across, even though the underlying mound extends considerably wider. 

Located in a ranch in the middle of Nevada, public access is limited to preserve the landscape (Witold Matus)

Is this thing alien?

What makes the Fly Geyser breathtaking from the get-go, isn’t solely its shape (which may remind you of a giant blob coming out of the ground), but its shimmering colours. Algae and thermophilic bacteria, two microorganisms which thrive in the extreme warmth, help coat the mineral deposits with vivid reds, greens, oranges, and yellows. Then there are the rusty tones supplied by the iron, the sulfur which gives the yellow highlights, and those distinct emerald bands formed by the one and only algae.

This geological phenomenon looks to come from an alien world or at least in primordial Earth’s formative years. The bubbling vents, neon mineral ribbons, and constant steam evoke images reminiscent of volcanic planets or celestial moons. It is no surprise that photographer, Christian Klepp likened it to Jupiter’s moon, Io.

Constantly spewing boiling water, the geyser really shows just how powerful (and sometimes crazy) nature can be

Conservation

For years, this natural marvel remained hidden because it was on private land. Then, in June 2016 the Burning Man Project acquired Fly Ranch, a massive stretch of land totalling 3,800 acres of springs, wetlands, and habitats. This did this with a humbling $6.5 million and intended responsible stewardship and public access. 

Now, through partnerships such as Friends of Black Rock‑High Rock, limited guided tours are offered April through October. Participants can experience three‑hour nature walks across the ranch, all of which lead to the geyser. The tickets are donation-based and support conservation efforts and help ensure visitor safety and site integrity. 

Despite it being close to State Route 34, access has always remained strictly regulated. Visitors can glimpse the geyser’s plume from the roadside, but entry requires booking and oversight. 

The Burning Man Project purchased the land on which it sits on in 2016 but only opened it to the public in 2018 (Vtu)

Beautiful accidents

Fly Geyser’s accidental coming-about, searing beauty, and cautious stewardship offer a poignant point of view into this kind of landscape: our unintended impacts can shape nature in unpredictable ways (which didn't need to be said but alas), yet with care and vision, those transformations might actually become quite meaningful. In some ways, Fly Geyser stands as a subtle insight into what we could hope from unpredictable change: that ecological curiosity paired with deliberate care can emerge in tandem from the most unexpected beginnings.