After attending college in Arizona I fell in love with mountains. After lasting one year in the midwest after graduating in 2013, I moved to Oregon. Once I got here I started hiking regularly to cure my onsetting loneliness, depression, and fear. Since then I have traveled all around Oregon seeking the best hot springs.
Shortly after living in Eugene my girlfriend Ashleigh from Milwaukee was wanting to visit Cougar Hot Springs. I had never been to a hot spring before..had no idea what to expect.
The first thing that shocked me was nudity…I wasn’t quite comfortable with nudity nor was a versed that it was a completely normal part of living (phew, body confidence journey). I was a little shocked! I went in with my swimsuit on nonetheless.
How did this exist in the middle of the woods?! Hot water spewing from the ground?! I wanted to see them all.
In early October a group of us had a hot springs tour planned. Since I was going to be traveling with photographers, we woke up for sunrise and spent every sun set in a hot spring for 3 days and went to 4 hot springs.
The beauty of traveling this time of year is many campgrounds that tend to be full in the summertime are mostly empty. Fire Ban had ended as well which meant we were able to stay warm by the campfire. In this post I will share every hot spring we visited with my honest review.
Where Are These Hot Springs Located?
Oregon Hot Springs Etiquette
If you have never visited a hot springs before, it is hard to know what to expect, and what you should be abiding by while you are there. Here are some tips I wish I knew before going:
-Hydrate! You will get dehydrated, so make sure you are drinking water the entire time.
-Leave No Trace! Many of the hot springs don’t provide trash cans for you to so be prepared to take out what you bring in.
-Soak Time! Be mindful of sharing soak time with others. A general rule is an hour. Be mindful by paying attention if you notice people waiting to soak. Some places enforce soaking times.
-Put the phone down! I get it, I love taking photos too, but it is important to remember the first reason you’re there-to soak in natures hot baths.
-It’s Natural! The hot spring pools sit among rocks, soot, and dirt. Meaning you might get dirty. People often ask if I am worried about finding something in the water, and as a girl who grew up swimming in murky lakes in the midwest, no. Most hot springs that contain bugs will have that written about them on Google reviews.
-Be safe! To be honest, I wouldn’t visit hot springs in Oregon alone. 98% of the time I have encountered questionable people, and have been thankful to be there with friends. With that being said, I have gone with other females. Power in numbers!
-Wear shoes! Although this is a preference I find I ease into water more comfortably when I wear water shoes or sandals.
-Do research first. I always call the local ranger station first to check on closures. All Trails or the forest websites might not always be up to date and accurate, but these are great places to find trail information.
Terwilliger Hot Springs
Fee: $7 a person card or cash
Hours: Sunrise to sundown. Closed Thursdays from 8am-12pm for cleaning
Dogs: Not Allowed
Distance: 1/4 mile hike into the woods
Camping: Cougar Crossing Campground
Cabin Rental: Horse Creek Lodge
Ranger Station: McKenzie River Ranger Station 541-822-3381
What To Expect at Cougar Hot Springs
Located an hour and a half from Eugene, I have been here quite a few times since a day trip is doable. Two years ago the forest surrounding the hot springs burned, but the hot springs still remain.
The hot springs didn’t used to be maintained, but now they have a cap of 15 people at the springs at a time. I am appreciative of this being managed and cleaned, as the pools are most enjoyable with space to move around.
When visiting Oregon hot springs nudity is always going to be something you witness, so be prepared if that doesn’t make you comfortable.
If you arrive before sunrise, the attendant will walk in to get payment after you have soaked, there is a 2 hour time limit. Otherwise, pay at the booth.
It is a short 1/4 mile hike into the hot springs. The top of the hot spring is the warmest, and gets cooler the further you go downhill. The top hot spring is the most enjoyable in my opinion.
McCredie Hot Springs
Fee: Free, NW Forest Pass Parking
Hours: Not enforced
Dogs: Allowed
Distance: Short walk from parking lot
Camping: Blue Pool Campground
Cabin Rental: Oakridge Escapes
Ranger Station: Willamette National Forest- Middle Fork Ranger Station 541-782-2283
What to Expect At McCredie Hot Springs
McCredit sits next to the Willamette River, so the setting is quite relaxing. There are hot springs on two sides of the river. To access the opposite side there is an unmarked parking lot further up the road, or depending on depth of the river some wade across.
Hot springs along the river tend to be a bit more sandy, so expect to get quite dirty in these. Depending on if people have maintained them, they can be shallow.l
Personally my favorite time to come to these is in the rare occurance of snow. Since it sits at lower elevation, these hot springs don’t always see snow. I can’t wait to experience that again!
Warm Springs Meditation Pool
Fee: Free
Hours: Not enforced
Dogs: Allowed
Distance: .06 mile hike into the woods
Camping: Black Canyon Campground
Cabin Rentals: Oakridge Escapes
Ranger Station: Middle Fork Ranger Station 541-782-2283
What To Expect at Wall Creek
Also known as Wall Creek, the name says it all, “warm spring,” and that it is. The water is more like a lukewarm bathtub. Unfortunately in 2022, Wall Creek had a mega-fire roar through, completely burning the entire surroundings.
The year before, the complex fire of 2021 spared this area. Unfortunately, as you can see above the warm pool looks nothing like it used to. I’m absolutely devastated by this.
Umpqua Hot Springs
Fee: $5 a vehicle/day or Northwest Forest Pass
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Dogs: Allowed
Distance: .08 mile steep hike into the woods
Camping: Toketee Campground
Cabin Rental: Umpqua’s Last Resort
Ranger Station: Toketee Ranger Station 541-498-2531
What To Expect at Cougar Hot Springs
While it might look like you can camp at the trailhead, the dispersed camping is now closed.
By far some of the most popular hot springs in the state of Oregon, and for good reason. The cascading pools hug the side of a cliff that overlooks the Umpqua River. Visiting during the weekday for sunrise will be your safest bet for least amount of people.
Fall colors are absolutely stunning in this area. Be mindful of snow closures as when the gate closes, the hike turns into 3.0 round trip. I have done it in snow, not my favorite!
Umpqua is a party spot, and known for it. I have some strange stories from visiting..which means be prepared and do not go alone. If you are there at night you are likely to encounter people partying at the hot springs into the night.
The hottest pool is at the top, getting colder as the pools cascade down.
Photographs in collaboration with Melissa Rover and Johnathon DeSoto.
