Diana's Punch Bowl

Diana's Punch Bowl. Note vehicle for scale. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)

Diana’s Punch Bowl is a spectacular hot pool in a large travertine basin in the middle of Monitor Valley, northern Nye County, Nevada.

Many natural wonders such as this would require entrance fees, contain interpretive stations, and would be very crowded; however, this site is open to all, only shut off by a barbed-wire gate. Quoted values of the pool’s temperature range from about 140 to 180 Fahrenheit (60-82 Celsius), cool enough for thermophilic algae. The whole depression is about 40 feet deep and 70 feet across.

The feature has also been called the “Devil’s Cauldron.”

Know Before You Go

From US-50, turn south on Belmont Road (BLM 425, Monitor Valley Rd), a graded dirt road that should be passable to ordinary passenger cars in dry weather. This turnoff is about 12.6 miles east of Hickson Summit, at 39.494474 N, 116.523216 W.

Proceed 33.8 miles from the turnoff to a primitive dirt road coming in from the left (39.038923 N, 116.685973 W). Diana's Punch Bowl is visible out in the middle of the valley as a low gray mound, about one mile down this road. High clearance is advisable when attempting this access road.