If you’re as obsessed with Hot Springs as we are, you HAVE to visit Oregon. Or, if you’re just visiting Oregon for any other reason, you absolutely need to detour and take a day to go hot springs hunting.
Our recent trip to the the lush forests of northern Oregon was the perfect place to try and check a few of them off, as the area is absolutely chocked full of hidden gems tucked away in the trees or along riverbanks. We could have spent days and days exploring the area, but unfortunately didn’t have nearly enough time to visit all of them.
This post starts with a list of the springs we visited during our recent trip, but also covers an extensive bucketlist of springs in other parts of Oregon that we still have yet to visit.
There are limited resources out there for some of these springs, so we’ve really dug around to try and create a comprehensive list. We might have missed one or two still, but this is a pretty good place to start! We’ll keep adding to the list as we discover more.
Let’s start with our favourite. Umpqua is the most stunning hot springs we’ve come across so far in Oregon, and as a result, it’s probably one of the busiest too. It’s quite remote in the Umpqua region but it’s not too far from the city of Eugene. It’s well worth the effort to get out there and comprises of 5 or 6 small pools large enough for 2, 3 or 4 people. Read more about why Umpqua is our favourite hot spring in Oregon here. They are stunning and are just a short walk from the parking lot.
Bigelow Hot Springs are a mini ‘warm springs’ sat right at the edge of the McKenzie River. The spring has a small cave and is a short walk from the parking lot. It’s not the warmest hot spring in the world, gets quite busy and is quite grubby, black water. Having said that, we absolutely loved our time there. Read more about our relaxing hot spring experience here.
After our visit, we saw a youtube video of a snake living there. Very glad we found out afterwards!
This one is nestled away deep in the Oregon wilderness. It’s about an hour from Eugene, Oregon and several miles down a bumpy road. It’s well worth the effort but can be quite busy. The springs are absolutely stunning, but expect nudity! Find out more and read more about our experience here.
This brings us to the end of the hot springs that we’ve personally visited so far, but Oregon is absolutely stuffed full of hot springs so we thought we’d continue the list with all the other springs we could dig up. We plan to check off a few more of these in the years to come, so watch this space for updates!
These are hot springs on the shore of Paulina Lake in Central Oregon. They’re a long detour if you’re on a coastal road trip, but well worth a trip. The Lake has plenty of camping and plenty of different pools (5). Some are boxed in by logs, others are open to the lake.
Willow Creek Hot Springs are slap bang in the middle of nowhere. Whereas many springs are hidden away in forests or sit along river banks, this one is in Oregon’s desert region. Don’t try and visit during rain as the road becomes treacherous. Unimproved and almost guaranteed to have it to yourself.
These are another set of developed hot springs deep in the Oregon wilderness. These are another Northern Oregon treat, and you’ll find the closest city to be either Salem or Portland. Have a soak in a beautiful wooden tub. These are open 24 hours and managed by the US Forestry service. They’re open in winter but the roads aren’t maintained in the winter.
This is another hot spring in Oregon’s desert region to the East. It’s a large springs with expansive views of the dry, cracked land beyond and the mountains in the distance. It’s a trek into the middle of nowhere but well worth the adventure!
Austin Hot Springs are approximately 60 miles from Portland in the Mt. Hood region. They’re another beautiful woodland springs. As far as we can tell, these springs are situated on Native Land, and have been deemed off limits until a suitable agreement with the Warm Springs Tribe has been agreed. Access is considered trespassing. We don’t recommend trying to get to these unless you can find more updated information. It also has bursts of 200 degree water, so it’s recommended that you bring a thermometer to check.
All in all, it’s probably best to avoid these springs until further notice or enter at your own risk.
Juntura or Horshoe Bend Hot Springs are located in the middle of the Malheur River in Eastern Oregon. The main bridge access to these springs are closed, so you may require a 4×4 to make it to the springs. Not recommended during rainy season. It’s approximately 0.6 miles from the parking lot and is a large springs with a capacity of around 20-30 people.
These are another desert hot springs that require a bit of a hike up a scree slope. They offer expansive views over the valley below and if you’re anywhere nearby and are up for a challenge it would be well worth the effort. It’s a 2 hour drive followed by a 3.5 mile hike.
This is another hot springs located in the absolute middle of nowhere, but it’s well worth the effort. The pool is a perfect 100 degrees and fits about 6 people. A perfect escape at any time of year.
Snively Hot Springs are located in Eastern Oregon along the banks of the Owyhee River. The water coming from the source is extremely hot but is piped directly into the cool river water. Move closer or further away to find the perfect temperature!
Due to flooding and landslides, not much is left of these hot springs, except for a few small bubbling puddes. Worth checking out, but for a full soak, head to Snively Hot Springs nearby. No photos because by all accounts, there’s not much left! Sorry!
These are a bit of a hidden gem in the Willamette Forest. It’s a short 0.3 mile hike to the springs, but well worth the effort, although sometimes it can be considered quite lukewarm. Closest city is Eugene, Oregon.
These springs are on unmarked private land, so please be considerate and hike out any trash and behave respectfully. It would be a shame if these were closed due to poor behaviour! The best way to get here is down a 3 mile 4×4 route followed by a 2-3 mile hike. Do not attempt with a low clearance vehicle.
These hot springs are 50 miles east of Eugene, Oregon and is close to the Willamette Pass Highway. There are 2-4 shallow pools suited for bathing.The Hot Spring temperatures are known to fluctuate so it might be wise to bring a thermometer! Clothing optional and free to use between sunrise and sunset.
Submerged earlier in the season, these springs appear during the drier months (September for example). You can dig your own pool to create your perfect temperature, so bring a shovel! It’s a 0.3 mile hike in, so nothing too challenging! It can be hot, so a thermometer might be a good idea.
These are a short 0.9mile hike to a very quaint warm springs in Eastern Oregon. There’s a small parking area nearby. Temperature doesn’t exceed 90 degrees, so don’t go in Winter! You can read more about it here
Fisher Hot Springs are a single tub of piped hot springs water in an extremely scenic, yet remote part of Oregon. Well worth the visit but remember it’s on private land so pack out everything you bring in. The water coming in is extremely hot, so turn off the valve/divert the hose once the tub is full to allow it to cool. It’s also considerate to leave the tub like this for the next person. Read more here
So that’s all we can come up with for now, but if we dig up any more, we’ll be sure to update this post. As we haven’t visited most of these springs, we’d be grateful for any feedback or updates that relate to them! Good luck tracking them down!
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