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    Terwilliger Hot Springs

    3.8 (54 reviews)

    Terwilliger Hot Springs Photos

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    Hot springs pools
    Deena J.

    $12 entry fee, in support of keeping the hot spring pools clean and the upkeep of paths. 4 different pools with varying temperatures. Half mile walk to get to the springs. Best hot springs I have been to.

    (07/30/2023) No way to pay! Don't blame me, USFS!
    Jason V.

    There are more than a dozen so-called "hot springs" in Oregon and Washington, but sadly, most of them can only be found on the grounds of resorts, spas and hotels. Even more annoyingly, these "hot springs" are rarely more than glorified pools or hot tubs, set in sterile, indoor, modern facilities, and come with exorbitant price tags, restrictive rules, and obnoxious, elitist coinhabitants sharing their use. They're a far cry from anything you might find in Japan, for example. Terwilliger Hot Springs bears none of these burdens. Situated about five miles south Rainbow, OR, off the McKenzie River Scenic Byway, there's little fanfare or signage indicating its existence, until you're basically right on top of it. When you see the Willamette National Forest bearing its name, proceed a few hundred feet further to the designated parking area, change into your skivvies (or not; clothing is optional in the hot springs...just don't strip down until you get there!), and backtrack to the trail head to begin your (very short) hike to the springs themselves. According to the signage (and the US Forest Service website), a $10 fee per person is required for two hours of soak time, and many of the signs warn that CCTV cameras and all manner of Orwellian observation is in place to ensure you pay up...OR ELSE! Credit cards are accepted, the signs (and again, the website) boasts, with a purported self-pay kiosk supposedly on site. That said, as of our visit on 7/30/2023, the pay station is devoid of any such machine, or payment method of ANY kind, so either it was removed, stolen or never existed in the first place. Maybe it's still to come? I inquired of several other visitors about how to pay, and the answers varied from "I've never paid" to "Huh? What machine?". Hey, USDA Forest Service: I did my due diligence. If you want to come after me for our $20 bucks, send me a bill - NOT a fine. The onus is on you. I digress... A short, 0.4 mile, mostly uphill hike leads you to a rickety lean-to for changing clothes (or stripping down), before descending down a primitive, rocky stairwell to soak in one of four tiered, geothermically-heated pools of mineral water, that become progressively cooler further down the hillside. The topmost pool is basically Japanese onsen-level hot (temperatures purportedly range from 108° - 115° F), decreasing to around 85° F in the lowest pool; the two in the middle bridging the gap between these two extremes. Find the pool, or pools, that best treat your particular malady or preference, sit back, relax, and enjoy! Personally, I found I could tolerate the topmost pool for a maximum of about 10 minutes, before my body started sending me warning signs that it was time to cool down. Further down, the lowest pool was tolerable even for my infant son (who absolutely loved it, and had a blast!). And, as a result of being acclimated to the temperature of the hottest pool, the second and third felt only marginally warmer than the bottom one, while still being significantly cooler than the first. Mix-and-match, and find the combination that works best for you! I sought out these natural hot springs in a desire to find some temporary relief for my wife, who has been suffering from a pinched nerve in her back for the past month or so. I was prepared to consign us to a prohibitively expensive stay at a resort hotel, if necessary, and wasn't even sure if I could find a naturally-occurring alternative within driving distance. Terwilliger Hot Springs was a lucky find that fit all of my criteria, the foremost being surrounded by nature, and nature alone, instead of sanitary white walls, musky incense, and soft Enya music played over a speaker system. Well, nature alone...and a half dozen other bathers, many of them in their birthday suits. Prudes and perverts, stay home!

    Katherine K.

    Absolutely beautiful hot springs! The man working at the front was very kind and told my friends and I a lot about the hot springs and the upkeep. They clean it every week and you can definitely tell! The walk to get there is not too long and it's a beautiful view the whole time. Very relaxing and worth the drive!

    Sign clearly depicting cards accepted.
    Melysa R.

    Drove two hours to get to the Hot Spring, beautiful, drive gorgeous location, as I've been in before today there was a man at the post requiring me to give him a check or cash in order to get in. The signs clearly state they accept credit cards on BOTH of their signs I left without a visit today. they used to have envelopes you could put your money in. I'm not gonna just hand it over or my personal check with my bank account and routing information to some strange man.

    Mountains with fog
    Ethan V.

    Such a beautiful area to just enjoy. From the parking space you have the reservoir on one side and on the other you have a waterfall. Which is at the very bottom of the hot springs. The trail to the hot springs is so green and there's wildlife to see. Saw some caterpillars and banana slugs. The springs themselves were very nice and enjoyable. We went while it was raining so it was felt very magical and something you see out of a movie. There's a nice overhang area where you can leave your belongings

    Bottom pool
    Rita J.

    Absolutely beautiful!! A 1/2 mile hike to get up here but so worth it. Very easy hike, not inclined the whole time either. There's quite a bit of nudity but it didn't bother me or my boyfriend. If you're ok with that then this is the place for you! The pools get hotter as you go up. the very top pool even has a small pool that with a bucket that you can soak yourself with ice cold water from the river! And then dunk back into the hot springs. It's magical! It's clean and so worth the drive. We will be back for sure!

    Alexandra L.

    08/31/19: This was my first time at a hot springs, and I enjoyed it. As a tip when you are driving up, if the forrest ranger is not at the entrance at then stop your car and fill out the payment envelope before parking your car to save the trouble of walking back to your car with the tear off verification. It is $7 per person and you will have to fill out an envelope which you will drop into a slot. Parking is limited. It was a nice short 1/4 mile walk to the hot springs. There is a wooden shaded bench area to sit and leave your belongings. When we got there at 8:30 am it was perfect timing because a lot of the other people had gotten there earlier and were on their way out. There are 6 separate soaking pools separated by rocks. The top and hottest one was 111 degrees that the forrest ranger recorded when we were sitting in it. The lowest pool was around 75 degrees. This top pool was my favorite because it was the deepest about 2-3 feet as the other ones were very shallow in comparison. The top pool had a strong sulfur smell coming from it that something that was hard for my nose to get used to. Half the people who were there took advantage of being nude. We only stayed in the pools for about an hour because it was already a warm morning and can be a lot. On the way out the forrest rangers were friendly and reminded us to stay hydrated.

    Blue kulm
    Shannon P.

    Loved this place in the rain. It was so warm yet the cool drops of rain kept things cooled off. Only bummer is my friend and I both left our Kulm water bottles. If you found then, let me know!

    A meditative morning
    Kim H.

    Come early to beat the crowd. Come as early as soon as the sun rise. The walk into the hot spring is a 1/4 mile easy hike from the parking lot. The trail is beautiful. Enjoy the walk. Pay $6 at the entrance because theirs a ranger who checks. But the hot spring is worth much more that $6. There are four pools, but the first two are the cleanest and warmest. Jump into that one if it's not too crowded. Very peaceful, relaxing and serene. This is one of the best get away to nature that I have experienced. If you're traveling a long distance and want to feel energized and rejuvenated again, you definitely have to get to Terwiliger Hot Springs. I loved it. The location is an easy 1 hour drive away from Eugene, Oregon. Most of the people we met at the pool were travelers passing by. Folks were courteous and nice. They keep the hot spring clean, trash free and preserve as much of the nature as possible. This was my first time, but definitely not the last! I felt so revived and rejuvenated after the soak. All the geothermal energy really woke up every nerves in my body and helped ease my mind. If you come to Oregon, Terwiliger should definitely in the list of places you have to experience!

    the pools looking down from the top // early May

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    Had a fantastic day in exploring the trails and hot springs, Definitely a place to go.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Terwilliger Hot Springs

    Review Highlights - Terwilliger Hot Springs

    My friend lives in Eugene and brought me here, but if you don't know where you're going, I can see it would be easy to get lost.

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    Holiday Farm Rv Resort

    Holiday Farm Rv Resort

    4.1(8 reviews)
    3.2 km

    Really great spot along the Mckenzie river. They take a lot of pride in this park and Jim (on site…read moremanager) is about the best we have seen. He even brought our kids glow wands and glow balloons Friday night. It is very quiet and much more spacious than the other private rv sites we have seen. Bathrooms are spotless. Wifi is spotty but all in all it is a nice stop off. Spot #10 is #1.

    McKenzie river was beautiful. Camp host singled out our camp for having a big dog, and is…read moreincredibly unkind to LGBTQ campers and anyone who does not live there. The host ruined our trip for our son, if you break a "rule" they will charge you $100.00 then $200.00 for breaking another rule and you have to leave immediately. Host "patrols" on golf cart and will come into your camp to chastise you like a child. Host will make you extremely uncomfortable, and makes you feel like you are being supervised verses being a helpful host. When backing our trailer in we were screamed at and stared at by people who live there and made it very clear we were unwelcome from the beginning. If you want to run a trailer park then run one, but don't open it to the public and nickel and dime families. You have a God complex and act like a knock off mall security guard. Needless to say we won't be back. If you have a family, a dog of any kind or are a part of the LGBTQ this place is not right for you and I hope your vacation does not get ruined if you decide to go. And to the camp host get a life and have the day you deserve.

    Photos
    Holiday Farm Rv Resort
    Holiday Farm Rv Resort
    Holiday Farm Rv Resort - Electrical, water, and sewer & cable tv hook ups are modern and in good repair.

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    Electrical, water, and sewer & cable tv hook ups are modern and in good repair.

    McKenzie River National Recreational Trail

    McKenzie River National Recreational Trail

    4.9(16 reviews)
    3.4 km

    A beautiful hike. We did the waterfall loop, which is about a 3 mile hike that takes you by Koosah…read moreand Sahalie Falls. We brought the dogs and the kids, and we had a blast. The scenery was stunning and the trail condition was perfect. We'd definitely come back here again.

    What a gift it is to be surrounded by so much natural beauty. Today I was able to hike Sahalie…read moreFalls, Koosah Falls, and Tomalitch Blue Pool, all in one out and back 10.5 mile trek. The drive to the trailhead took 2.5 hours from my home in Portland, so we left by 6. If you arrive after 9 or 10 you have to deal with the crowds. Sahalie Falls was first and can be accessed very easily from the parking lot - no hike required. Keep this one in mind if you have mobility limitations. If you're up for it, hit the trail here. A short distance along the Mckenzie Creek will take you to Koosah Falls. Gorgeous, with falling turquoise water. Want a scare? Look up the fools who cliff jump from here. Incredible. After that you pass by the reservoir, then have a nice hike along a soft pine needle path down to Tomalitch Blue Pool. Again with the cliff jumping. Don't do it! So dangerous. But do carefully follow the pink ribbons over the rock ledge and down to the shore. You can swim if you dare in the 38 degree water. At least dunk your feet. The hike back to where you parked at Sahalie is 5 miles. Pack a lunch, a lot of water (I finished my 3 liters), and enjoy the day.

    Photos
    McKenzie River National Recreational Trail - Hiked with my baby sister

    Hiked with my baby sister

    McKenzie River National Recreational Trail
    McKenzie River National Recreational Trail - Blue Pool

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    Blue Pool

    Big Lake Campground - Mount Jefferson and Big Lake loomed large from our campsite.

    Big Lake Campground

    5.0(2 reviews)
    34.6 km

    Big Lake Campground is a lovely mountain campground near Santiam Pass. It's 34 miles northeast of…read moreBlue River, which is mistakenly shown on the Yelp map as the location. That's the ranger station at Blue River, not the campground, which is located off U.S. Highway 20 west of Sms isters. There's 49 campsites with varying lengths. We stayed in campsite 22. We had just enough room for our 25-foot travel trailer and GMC Yukon travel trailer. The rest of our site was huge, with wooden steps leading to a picnic table and a fire ring. Out the back window of our trailer we could see Big Lake and towering Mount Washington, one of the gems of Central Oregon. A short trail leads past prolific stands of bear grass and flowers, including mountain lupine, Queen's Cup, mountain meadowsweet and scarlet trumpet. There are numerous vault toilets and faucets offering drinking water. There are also boat ramps. We really enjoyed our time at this campground and highly recommend it.

    I camped here a couple summers ago and it was one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have been to…read more Mt. Washington sits right over Big Lake and boasts gorgeous mountain views with tall green trees surrounding the lake. We actually had a small lake access from our campground and the campground was nice and private from other sites. We reserved online for $24 a night (I highly recommend reserving online to be safe because the campground does fill up) and after splitting the cost with everyone it was dirt cheap! It's very reasonably priced per night. When we came in no one was at the check-in station but we found our name on a post outside the campground. Bathrooms were your standard vault toilets and there was running water but I don't think it was potable. I came mid-summer and the mosquitos were only a little noticeable and not out of control. We didn't have any issues with animals like raccoons or anything and since it was car camping our cars were easily accessible. I wish we could have brought out a kayak but it was still a nice place to swim and enjoy a beautiful summer weekend on the lake. There was a camp across the lake and a few trails we explores. I really liked the terrain and how it changed as you walked further into the mountains. I will definitely be back!

    Photos
    Big Lake Campground - Bear grass, used by native peoples for generations for baskets, grows throughout the campground.

    Bear grass, used by native peoples for generations for baskets, grows throughout the campground.

    Big Lake Campground - Queen's Cup flowers.

    Queen's Cup flowers.

    Big Lake Campground

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    Clear Lake - Drinks and fishing stuff

    Clear Lake

    4.5(12 reviews)
    54.0 km

    Here is my review of clear lake for row boat use!…read more We got here at 930 am. Found the pay box at the entrance $9, no cash. There is an option to pay at the bottom which we should have done because they take the national park passes there (see picture). We were able to find parking in the main lot and there were a few people there. We weren't sure how the process of renting the boats or availability of life jackets. There is a shop that sells food, snacks, drinks, ice cream , and desserts. They also have a selection of fishing items, shirts, jackets. We paid for the boat - $60 for the large boat all day. The life jackets were plentiful and available. My husband rowed most of the time because I am not a good rower. We made it from the dock to the start of the river that you can't go past which is good since you could hear the rapids. The way to the left was a lot calmer and clear. We had a blast out on the lake. You could see down near the shallows but not in the middle of the lake. Make sure to bring sunscreen because there isn't much shade. The facilities are great!! Two bathrooms in the shop. Large tables to sit and enjoy a hot cooked meal or ice cream. I am so glad we were able to make a morning on the lake super easy and stress free! Next time I'm thinking of renting a kayak or a stand up paddle board. That would be fun! If you are in the area make sure to stop by early. As we were leaving, the parking lot was filled up so make sure to get there early! I hope my review and pictures help you plan for a successful visit to Clear Lake!

    A beautiful setting for the perfect romantic getaway or family weekend escape. The cabins are…read morecozy with gas stoves and heaters and the boat rentals are very affordable is you want to connect with the water. We enjoyed a wonderful hike around the lake which took us through forests, lava fields, and springs with wooden bridges. The views were amazing!

    Photos
    Clear Lake - Coffee and tea bar

    Coffee and tea bar

    Clear Lake - Bathroom

    Bathroom

    Clear Lake - View of the boat dock

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    View of the boat dock

    Horse Creek Lodge & Outfitters

    Horse Creek Lodge & Outfitters

    4.9(55 reviews)
    2.2 km
    $$

    Gary and Alyssa were so kind and helpful from start to finish. From booking our shuttle over the…read morephone, to giving us super detailed tips on the best route for us along the McKenzie River Trail. We had such a fun time riding, and would love to come back one day to stay at the campground and check out some of the other trails in the area. Gary was especially careful with our bikes on his rack, had an impeccably clean car (even without considering he hauls around outdoor enthusiasts), and happily showed us important markers and potential hiccups on the trail as he drove us to the trailhead. Alyssa was very responsive and kind on the phone. Overall, I get the impression that they love the land and community around McKenzie River, and are just excited to share that enthusiasm with their guests.

    Highly recommend staying here! We had an amazing mini vacation in one of the cabins. The customer…read moreservice was great! Alyssa, Gary and their team are extremely kind and accommodating. You can tell they really care about the area and making sure visitors enjoy their stay. The path along the water inside the grounds is absolutely magical. We booked river rafting and a waterfall tour guide through the lodge and both were awesome! Karen, our rafting guide, was great! She was very informative and fun! Alex and Maddie took us on the waterfall tour. We couldn't go to one of the waterfalls because the road was closed so they took us to a couple other spots in the area to compensate. Snacks were provided and omg the brownies were so delicious Thank you to all of the people who run the Horse Creek Lodge and Outfitters. You all helped us make some pretty amazing memories! Will definitely be coming back.

    Photos
    Horse Creek Lodge & Outfitters - 8/2019 Horse Creek Lodge wedding

    8/2019 Horse Creek Lodge wedding

    Horse Creek Lodge & Outfitters - My future guide in training!

    My future guide in training!

    Horse Creek Lodge & Outfitters

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    Terwilliger Hot Springs - parks - Updated July 2026

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