Hike-in Required
No
Open Year-round
Yes
Water Temperature
105.00 °F (40.56 °C)
Sensitive Habitat
Yes
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

People have been visiting the replenishing and tranquil hot springs along the Breitenbush River long before westerners started keeping records.  In a visit back in the 1880s, Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice John B. Waldo was so inspired by his experience that he wrote to then President Grover Cleveland:

“There are educational uses in mountains and the wilderness which well justify a wise people in preserving and reserving them for such uses... where, in communion with untrammeled nature and the free air, the narrowing tendencies of an artificial and petty existence might be perceived and corrected, and the spirit enlarged and strengthened."

Waldo’s letter, and his subsequent correspondence with President Cleveland, led to the creation of the Cascade Forest Reserve, which encompasses an area that today includes all of the national forests of the Oregon Cascades.

The hot springs are preserved and maintained by a working cooperative, the Breitenbush Community, who manage the 154-acre Retreat and Conference Center along with the hot springs.  Subtly engineered over the last 80 years, there are three main soaking pools kept at 108, 105, and 101 degrees, along with four smaller “tubs”.  The center also hosts a sauna, showers, restrooms, dining, lodging and regularly scheduled healing workshops.

Note: Breitenbush Hot Springs is privately run.  Access to the hot springs and the rest of the entire facility is $15-28 per day.  Visit the Breitenbush Retreat and Conference Center website for more details.

Logistics + Planning

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

General Day Use Fee

Pros

Very well maintained and clean. Numerous pools. Overnight accommodations.

Cons

Day-use cost. Very heavily used.

Features

Constructed
Sensitive Habitat

Number of pools

7

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

12/17/2017
Book early for day use, even earlier if you want to try and stay overnight. Bring a robe and shoes that are easy to slip on & off.
Super open, relaxing environment where you can be yourself and enjoy nature! Nudity in the hot springs is optional, but the majority of people opt for this, so you must be comfortable with nudity and open to all types of people!
The drive to Breitenbush via Hwy 46 can be tricky in winter depending on snow so check the conditions beforehand, and be prepared to use chains or snow tires.
05/17/2017
Remember reservations are required to visit the hit springs. They limit the visitors per day this way.
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