Last updated: August 31, 2021
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Elko Hot Hole Exhibits Audio Description
NPS Exhibit
Elko's Geologic Wonders Exhibit Audio Description
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Elko Hot Hole – Geologic Wonders Exhibit Audio Description
Listen to the audio description of the Elko Hot Hole – Geologic Wonders exhibit.
- Date created:
- 08/26/2021
Elko’s Geologic Wonders. 535 words.On the far side of this graphic panel is a pool of water with steam rising from the surface. The pool sits at the bottom of a shallow bowl of earth, with a gradual slope downward from your location and a steep bank on the far side. On the far bank are outcroppings of pale, vertical-faced rock. A tall fence surrounds the area.
Across the top of the graphic is an aerial view of the area. A highway runs from center left to the upper right corner. A white arrow points off the map to the left to the location of the California Trail Interpretive Center. Just below the highway and roughly parallel is a red dotted line which marks the path of the California National Historic Trail. Below the trail is a twisty dark line which is the Humboldt River. Near the lower right is a blue rectangle. The area inside the rectangle is enlarged to the right. Near the center top is the Elko Hot Hole, your current location. Just above that is an area labeled “Unnamed Hot Springs.” At the bottom of the rectangle is an area labeled “Elko Hot Springs.” Text below the image reads, “The hot spring in front of you is known as Hot Hole, named after its round and reportedly deep waters. For centuries, this geologic wonder has fascinated and inspired people. Explorers included the Hot Hole in reports dating back to the 1830s. Later, emigrants and miners followed the paths of the explorers as part of the California Trail. They too visited this hot spring. Amazed by what they saw, they journaled their experiences and explored the area for more geologic wonders. Within a quarter mile, they found two other places with hot springs! To the south and up the hill lies Elko Hot Springs, a cluster of springs that was the site of a late 1800s resort. Northeast of the Hot Hole, alongside (and flowing into) the Humboldt River, is a ribbon-like line of three unnamed hot springs. All of the hot spring areas (Hot Hole, Hot Springs, and the “ribbon”) were visited by California Trail travelers, and not only because of the fascination. Just like the modern-day truck stop provides for today’s travelers, the hot springs provided for 1850’s travelers, and even provided some of the same amenities! Elko Hot Springs is on private property. Be respectful and do not enter without landowner permission. The unnamed hot springs are not open for visitation. For more information about these springs, contact the California Trail Interpretive Center.”
At the right side of the graphic is a small photograph showing a building made of pale-colored stone, two stories on the left side and with a one-story extension to the right. Text reads, “California Trail Interpretive Center. Located west of Elko, the California Trail Interpretive Center provides opportunities to experience the Trail and to discover its global impacts. Things to do include viewing multimedia exhibits, hiking several trails, attending programs, and obtaining information for trip planning. The center is located at 1 Trail Center Way, Elko, NV 89801. Take I-80 West to Exit 292 for Hunter. For more information, visit www.californiatrailcenter.org or call 775-738-1849.”
End of Description.
NPS Exhibit
Truck Stop Ahead Exhibit Audio Description
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Elko Hot Hole - Truck Stop Exhibit Audio Description
Listen to the audio description of the Elko Hot Hole - Truck Stop exhibit.
- Date created:
- 08/26/2021
Truck Stop Ahead (1850s Style). 549 words.On the far side of this graphic panel is a pool of water with steam rising from the surface. The pool sits at the bottom of a shallow bowl of earth, with a gradual slope downward from your location and a steep bank on the far side. On the far bank are outcroppings of pale, vertical-faced rock. A tall fence surrounds the area.
On the right side of the graphic is a photograph looking down a small river along the left side of the image. Along the right side are several flat, pale-colored rocks. One in the foreground is stained bright orange. In the middle of the stone slabs is a small pool of water with steam rising. The caption reads, “Three unnamed hot springs are located along the Humboldt River northeast of this sign. Above, on the right, is one of these springs under a cloud of steam. Photo Courtesy Kevin Lee.”
Below the large photograph is a small black and white photograph showing the pool in front of you. A dirt road winds along the left side and small figures of two men and a horse stand on the right. The caption reads, “Photo of Elko Hot Hole in 1920. Unknown Photographer.” Text on either side of the small photo reads, “This black-and-white photo shows the Hot Hole in 1920. Note that people aren't in the spring- it can be scalding hot! William Pritchard wrote the following about his August 1850 Hot Hole visit: “We caught a snake and threw it in, also a frog. They gave one kick and all was over and as soon as we could get them out they were cooked for the flesh all came off the bone.””
Text down the left side of the graphic panel reads, “Fertile valleys, grasslands, hot springs (oh my!). This is how miners and emigrants described the surrounding area when they passed through it on the California Trail. They were on their way to California in hopes of striking it rich as gold miners or as farmers and ranchers. Most often noted in their writings about this area were its numerous hot springs.”
“While on the Trail, travelers could see several hot springs in the nearby vicinity. However, in the Elko area, the California Trail was located on the north side of the Humboldt River. And all of the hot springs are located on its south side. Visiting them required crossing the Humboldt River, twice! If you were a worn-down traveler on a months-long, over 2000-mile journey, would you do this? Yet, many miners and emigrants did. For them, hot springs were one of the “truck stops” of the emigration era, one with a scenic view. Crossing the Humboldt was merely exiting and returning to the highway.”
“If you were a traveler walking the dusty path of the California Trail, what would you use hot springs for? Emigrant and miners used the springs for washing clothes, cooking, a nice place to camp, and possibly even for shaving! Just like today’s truck stops, one location contained laundry, eating, bathing, and sleeping amenities. Trail travelers greatly appreciated the hot springs and often recorded their experiences in their journals. This allowed others to discover them, just as you have done so today.”
End of Description.