Umpqua Hot Springs
Umpqua Hot Springs flows at 117°F from multiple geothermal sources along the North Umpqua River in Lane County, forming cascading pools at 2,608 feet elevation. The springs create a 66.9-degree temperature differential above the 50.1°F ambient air temperature, emerging 138 meters from Forest Road 3401. Eight pools with rock and sand bottoms accommodate soaking in the mineral water.
The springs occupy the forested North Umpqua River canyon within Umpqua National Forest, where Douglas fir and western hemlock dominate slopes receiving 51.5 inches of annual precipitation and 171.6 inches of snow. The thermal water cascades down travertine-encrusted rocks above the wild and scenic river, creating terraced pools overlooking the waterway. The 2,608-foot elevation sits in the transition zone between Cascade montane forest and higher elevation communities.
Indigenous peoples used these springs for centuries before European settlement. The formation's distinctive cascading pools developed through mineral deposition over millennia as hot water precipitated dissolved minerals. US Forest Service management has maintained public access while attempting to manage heavy visitation that increased dramatically in recent decades, requiring periodic closures for rehabilitation.
Access requires a short walk from Forest Road 3401, with the trail potentially challenging during winter when heavy snowpack averages 171.6 inches. Summer and fall offer the best visiting conditions, though the site can become crowded. Practice leave-no-trace principles to protect the fragile travertine formations. Toketee Group Site lies 4.1 km away for overnight camping with reservations.
Is Umpqua Hot Springs worth visiting?
Best for
- Hot spring soaking
- Overnight camping trips
Overview The North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River pauses at Toketee reservoir providing a secure home for a wide variety of wildlife. Here beaver and otter make their homes. Visitors are sometimes treated to seeing and hearing the beaver's tail slaps. Great blue heron and kingfishers are joined in fall and winter by ducks, geese, and bald eagles.Recreation Many people enjoy some of the state’s best German Brown trout fishing. Due to ongoing dam repair Toketee Lake is 2-3 feet lower than the...