10 Best Hot Springs in Oregon to Check Out
Besides having a stunning coast, there’s also tons of beautiful hot springs in Oregon and recently having discovered one by total accident, I decided to make this list of 10 you should totally check out.
Now there’s good news about these hot springs in Oregon (as well as bad news):
- The good news is that they are all over the state.
- Tut the bad news is that many of them are either closed, on private property or just have bad reviews altogether.
Fortunately this post filters through all the bad ones and just provides you with a list of the top rated ones. Also, very important, every single hot spring on this list is on Google maps so you don’t need special directions to get there (but some details are worth noting as you read about them on this article’s list).
Here are the 10 best hot springs in Oregon:
- McCredie Hot Springs.
- Umpqua Hot Springs.
- Terwilliger Hot Springs.
- Belknap Hot Spring.
- Bigelow Hot springs.
- Babgy Hot Springs.
- Hunters Hot Springs.
- Austin Hot Springs
- Snively Hot Springs.
- Willow Creek Hot Springs.
Here are details on every single hot spring on this list:
1) McCredie Hot Springs:
Location: In central Oregon, specifically in Willamette National Forest, on the McCredie Hot Springs parking lot. You’ll park your car there and they are only about 200 feet away on either side of the river. It is also about 40 minutes from Bend, Oregon which by the way is close to several of the best state parks in Oregon too.
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? No.
How many? 3.
Other details: These were the hot springs I accidentally found. I was on my way to what I thought was the right spot for a beautiful lake, but the GPS took me here instead. The people at the parking lot told me about the springs, after which I checked them out and loved it!
Each spring here can fit up to 10 people and they are all pretty shallow. The heat of the water can rise up to 150 degrees. If you’re interested in other things to do nearby, there are tons of hiking trails right by this location, and an hour east of that is a very nice park known as Smith Rock State Park, where there’s tons to do.
2) Umpqua Hot Springs (very famous Oregon hot springs):
Location: Central Oregon, in Umpqua National Forest (official name is Umpqua Hot Springs).
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? Yes.
How many? More than 5.
Other details: There are 2 hot spring spots in this region. The first one is close to the parking lot and is rated very low because of crowds. The second is about 1/2 mile north (there is a trail there) and it leads to better rated hot springs. If you’re also interested in waterfalls, there are several cool Oregon waterfall hikes in this area, specifically Toketee Falls and Watson Falls worth checking out. You might also see these on Instagram as they are very popular.
3) Terwilliger Hot Springs:
Location: Also in Willamette National Forest (Central Oregon), by Cougar Reservoir.
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? No.
How many: Not sure, but there are multiple ones.
Other details: This is one of the highest rated hot springs in all of Oregon but to reach it you will have to go through a road that is in need of repairs. With an all wheel drive or 4×4, you should be fine. This area also has waterfalls, a campground and other scenic areas to check out.
4) Belknap hot spring:
Location: North of Willamette National Forest (north east of Terwilliger Hot Springs).
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? In some places, yes.
How many? A few.
Other details: There are some hot springs in this location that are on private property. There is also a popular hotel (Belknap Hot Springs Lodge and Gardens) where you can stay that offers access to some of them. That lodge is highly rated and worth stopping at if you are in the central Oregon region.
5) Bigelow Hot spring:
Location: North of Belknap hot spring.
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? No.
How many? Just 1 (with a cave).
Other details: This one has mixed views, but on average they are high (around 4 stars). It is a single hot spring that you can find off road 126 (McKenzie highway). You will turn onto road NF-2564 and it is located across the river McKenzie river. Its a pretty small hot spring with a cave that is literally by the river.
The main “complaint” some people have about it is that very often the river water floods into the hot spring, making it warm or even cold and some suggest coming here seasonally for the best experience (spring/summer) or going into the cave area where the heat is more insulated. The truth is most hot springs carry that con as they are almost always by a river and almost always, it requires that the hot spring be cut off from the river to keep the heat in.
6) Babgy Hot Springs:
Location: In Mount Hood National Forest (central Oregon).
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? Yes.
How many? Several.
Other details: This hot spring is also very highly rated and is unique to the others on this list because you get into large buckets (man made) to experience it. To get here, you will have to park by Babgy hot springs campground and walk for about 1-2 miles to reach it, but the good news is that the crowds will be fewer because of that.
7) Hunters Hot Springs:
Location: South east Oregon, near the town of Lakeview.
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? Not sure, but it is by a hotel.
How many? Just 1 giant pool.
Other details: This is a very large hot spring which also has a geyser nearby.
8) Austin Hot Springs:
Location: Also in central Oregon, in the Mount Hood National Forest region (southern side).
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to get in? No.
How many? 3.
Other details: This is one of the most scenic hot springs on the list and is also right off the road (Clakamas River Road). There is space for dozens of people here and there are times when you will see the steam coming off the springs (depending on the weather).
9) Snively Hot Springs:
Location: Eastern Oregon (near the Idaho Border).
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? No.
How many? 3.
Other details: This is the eastern most hot spring on the list and is located near the desert region of Oregon. It is also located near a river (Owyhee River). A parking lot is located nearby with space for a few cars. This is also a highly rated spring in the state.
10) Willow Creek Hot Springs:
Location: Eastern Oregon too.
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? No.
How many? 2.
Other details: This last hot spring is close to Snively so you will have options if one is too crowded. Willow Creek has good reviews, but because it’s public, you may run into large crowds sometimes (which is one of the complaints with this particular spot).
11) Paulina Hot Springs:
Location: Near Newberry Volcano.
Natural? Yes.
Fee required to enter? Yes.
How many hot springs? Several.
Details: After exploring the best things to do in Eastern Oregon, one of the spots I had found on that list was an actual volcano area, but as it just so happens, there are also natural hot springs in the area and in this case they are called Paulina Hot Springs. Not only are they worth checking out, but so is the bigger Newberry Volcano area!
General Oregon hot springs questions:
Is Oregon hot springs open?
It depends on which Oregon hot spring you’re looking to go to. More popular ones tend to close after certain days and hours, while more natural and remote ones are open 24-7.
Does Oregon have hot springs?
Absolutely. There are man made and natural hot springs all over Oregon to check out.
How hot are hot springs in Oregon?
Hot springs in Oregon can be over 100 degrees. It all depends on how separated they are from regular water sources that often mix in together and cool them down.
How long is Umpqua Hot Springs hike?
The hike to Umpqua hot springs is very short but steep at a little under half a mile.
Are there any good Oregon hot springs near Portland?
You may have noticed that on this list, none were mentioned to be close to Portland. If you’re wondering why, the answer is that the closest ones are actually in the Columbia River Gorge area, but on the other side of the river (in Washington State).
Many of them are closed and info on them is also scarce, which is why I didn’t add them to this list. If you find any close by springs by Portland, it will be east of it. But if there are any worth mentioning, I’d love to know below in the comments.
More related posts on stuff to see and do in Oregon:
- Obviously, the coast is a must visit and I have a list of the best places to visit on the Oregon coast which will make this easy.
- Also, here’s a list of Oregon coast sea caves to check out (including where sea lions are).
- If you enjoy camping, there’s plenty of Oregon coast camping to stay at too (also within the state, but the coast is more popular).
