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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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8 years ago

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

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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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Tamolitch Falls - The Blue Pool - Bathrooms

Tamolitch Falls - The Blue Pool

4.9(27 reviews)
20.5 km

Last stop on our trip to Oregon before heading back to San Diego. It was May 1st and we arrived…read morearound 9am so it was not that busy. Drive: Basic mountain roads. Most roads feel brand new with well marked lines and signs. Parking/trailhead: Signs clearly marked parking area for Blue Pool. Long road leading up to trailhead is unpaved and parking is only allowed on one side. Luckily we were early so got a spot not too far down. Two restrooms, pretty stinky but what can you expect? Trail: Pretty easy hike. Mostly even paths I think overall theres about 300 feet gain on it. Some parts were very muddy, a big portion is rocky with lots of lava rock. Some parts have tree roots sticking up. CAUTION: Parts of trail have a really high cliff that drops off into the river with no markings so be careful especially with dogs or kids. Pool: Of course amazing views once you get to the pool. The side you arrive on is on a cliff with the view of the pool below. You can hike down to the pool by hiking around the edge but some parts are really close to the edge. Descending and ascending is difficult and is not for the weak. Over all we had an amazing time. The hike was a little longer than I thought but nothing too crazy even for a novice hiker. I would suggest bringing water and snacks, we didn't and regretted it. If you get down to the water at least dip your feet in. We did and it felt amazing and we actually felt reguvenated for our hike back.

Great trail leading up to the pool. Not a difficult hike at all. Wouldn't suggest doing it when…read moreit's dark though as there are small rocks and rocky areas that can seem to pop out of nowhere and destroy your ankles. The pool is Absolutely beautiful and this is my favorite color. Once you see the one sign that says no bikes allowed, turn towards the water and look over the cliff.

Photos
Tamolitch Falls - The Blue Pool
Tamolitch Falls - The Blue Pool - Caught a rainbow

Caught a rainbow

Tamolitch Falls - The Blue Pool

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Belknap Hot Springs - Dirty dish washing brush

Belknap Hot Springs

2.4(234 reviews)
11.9 km
$$

Black Bears Do Live Here. Belknap has gorgeous garden trails…read moreand the views are spectacular. Unfortunately the facilities are overdue for a renovation and the lady at the front desk is rude for no reason, as mentioned by so many other reviewers. Yes, we had a visit from a black bear yesterday around 8:00 am in site #20. We watched him as he clambered around just a few feet from our trailer. He walked all around the campground, following along a common guest trail. When we called to report it (we were excited) the lady told us flat out it was "impossible" and there has "never" been a bear sighting. In 50 years ? I was taken aback by her gruff attitude. For your family's safety, just be aware that black bears do live in Central Oregon and might stroll into this campground looking for a yummy picnic basket.

Really mixed feelings about this one…read more The good: the grounds are beautiful. The hot springs pool (particularly the upper one) was so nice and relaxing. The area is beautiful, with some amazing hiking and waterfalls nearby. The bad: our cabin was incredibly disappointing. I was prepared for "rustic." I was not prepared for grime all over the walls, unpainted patches, floors and baseboards that looked like they hadn't been cleaned in literally years, disrepair, and even a dirty sponge, completely with leftover food particles, in the kitchen. I would come back again if I was in the comfort of my own RV. It's a beautiful area and the hot springs really are so relaxing. But I would absolutely not recommend staying in a cabin.

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Belknap Hot Springs - Old mismatched furniture throughout the lodge.

Old mismatched furniture throughout the lodge.

Belknap Hot Springs - Needs better cleaning

Needs better cleaning

Belknap Hot Springs - Horrible pan

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Horrible pan

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.

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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

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.

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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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Holiday Farm Resort - Beautiful remodeled Woodsman Cabin

Holiday Farm Resort

5.0(6 reviews)
2.1 km

The Holiday Farm resort and wedding venue was a fantastic place for me and 7 other of my friends…read morefamilies to get together and enjoy each others company. The owners put together an amazing long weekend for us including a perfect food spread surpassing any of our expectations, amazing bar choices with beautiful drinks and a bartender, a bounce house and games for the kids, a shuttle service for all of us to sightsee, and also helped organize a great river rafting trip for all us adults! I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. The accommodations were great as well because they were so clean and quaint and fit all of us perfectly! I want to go back already !

Sandee and Allen know how to make you feel welcomed! We recently rented the resort for a friends…read morewith family get a way! From the moment we booked the location they have been so accommodating. From setting up an appetizer happy hour to helping us book white water rafting trip, they can do it all! The staff was so friendly and the food was phenomenal! With 21 children and adults we had plenty of room for slip in sliding, kick ball, s'mores by the fire and over all good times! During out stay we rented both cabins and one of the trailers on site and were not disappointed. The houses are well appointed with all you need to feel right at home! One of the best parts was how comfortable our bed was. We slept like babies after a full day of activities. We are so grateful for the memories we made at Holiday Farms Resort and look forward to making more here in the future!

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Holiday Farm Resort - Holiday farm resort bar view

Holiday farm resort bar view

Holiday Farm Resort - Bride and groom, getting married at the ceremony site.

Bride and groom, getting married at the ceremony site.

Holiday Farm Resort - The Hoover house

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The Hoover house

Breitenbush Hot Springs - We had such a great time!

Breitenbush Hot Springs

3.8(109 reviews)
69.8 km
$$

This is such a magical place. I have thoroughly enjoyed my stays here over the years. The place,…read morethe people, the vibes are amazing. I look forward to coming back the moment I leave. Thank you to all the incredible people who make magic happen.

Surprised to see some poor reviews here. My partner and I booked a one night stay this past weekend…read more(Jan 2026) and had a lovely relaxing stay. A few things: 1. This is not the type of place you can just roll up to, you should def plan your stay in advance and read the website and FAQs before going. 2. Perhaps we hit it on a good weekend or during the low season, but fortunately, it was not super crowded for us. If you have the opportunity to visit in the evening, that prob would be best though as there weren't more than 2-3 other people in the sauna or hot spring at any time them. 3. I saw complaints about the food not being good - again, maybe we hit it on an atypical weekend, but for vegetarian and gluten free meals, the food was pretty good! For dinner, we enjoyed a pretty nice lasagna with some amazing, fresh greens for salad and the following morning we had frittata, oatmeal, fresh fruit, and hard-boiled eggs. Also, if you find the food bland, there were plenty of hot sauces, condiments, dressings, etc to season it to your taste. 4. I think a lot of people have the expectation that this is a luxury spa resort... it's not. You're not getting gourmet buffets or fancy lodging and beds. It's def pretty rustic, but we found our stay to be comfortable and the amenities to be quite sufficient and most of all, it offered the peace and respite from the real world that we were seeking.

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Breitenbush Hot Springs - Icy stream

Icy stream

Breitenbush Hot Springs - The river access points.

The river access points.

Breitenbush Hot Springs - Private tubs

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Private tubs

McKenzie River Mountain Resort - This is one of my favorite rooms - a gorgeous King Suite.

McKenzie River Mountain Resort

4.4(45 reviews)
11.8 km
$$

We called last minute to see if we could get a shuttle to McKenzie River Trailhead and Chris…read morecontacted us immediately and we were able to book a shuttle to McKenzie River Trailhead. The meeting place was well described to us and followed up with an email. The shuttle was right on time. Chris was very personable. I loved his knowledge of the area and information he shared with us regarding the bike ride we were about to go on. He also had detailed maps of the 26 mile rides for us and also described some specific areas of the trail. I have been on many shuttles. What I loved most about Chris is that at the end he wanted to make sure everyone was ok and no questions that anyone had were left unanswered. He did not rush off. Thank you!!

This review is for the Mtn bike rental and shuttle for the Mackenzie river trail…read more The good: the trail is worth the drive (from anywhere) and the questionable service. You're riding along the Mackenzie river on a single track trail for up to 25 miles. The scenery is amazing. The water is roaring and clear. The trail is very well maintained. I'm glad this business exists and people have an opportunity to explore this terrific landscape. The bad: we showed up and the guy behind the desk was stressed and had a lot of anxiety. It was only us and one other group of two people. We planned on doing the entire trail (25 miles) but were told the top 9 miles is very technical and we should only do the bottom 16 miles. We submitted and said okay. Unfortunately, where we dropped off only allowed for 10 miles of beginner riding. I called when we finished and they said it was a miss-communication on their part and would take us further up. We went further up and did the next 10 miles. There was one mile of pretty technical riding where we had to stop riding and walk a decent amount. The rest of the time was all beginner/intermediate riding. When finished we couldn't call the shop to get picked up because there was no service. We rode along the road until there was service and called and txted the driver 11 times. No answer. We finally called the shop and were informed that "his phone was on the charger." They said he would be here to pick us up in 15 minutes. 30 minutes later I called back and got a lot of attitude from the front desk staff saying "we have other things to do to." Luckily it was an amazing ride. Really hoping they can get their communication and customer service dialed in!

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McKenzie River Mountain Resort - Nearby Hoodoo ski mountain offers a great tubing run called the Autobahn complete with tubes and rope tow.

Nearby Hoodoo ski mountain offers a great tubing run called the Autobahn complete with tubes and rope tow.

McKenzie River Mountain Resort - Nordic Skiing at its best is just up the highway!

Nordic Skiing at its best is just up the highway!

McKenzie River Mountain Resort - Dining room of cabin 3 with extra heater for those winter nights

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Dining room of cabin 3 with extra heater for those winter nights

Terwilliger Hot Springs - parks - Updated July 2026

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