Hot Springs With a View

Hike to Umpqua Hot Springs in Southern Oregon

Hike to Umpqua Hot Springs in Southern Oregon

Okay, so people love a good hot spring. And Umpqua Hot Springs is a marquee attraction. What makes it so good? Well, you’re perched on a terraced mineral deposit above the flowing beauty of the North Umpqua River.

There are a few pools to choose from, with varying degrees of heat. You have to hike up to them for a quarter of a mile (15 minutes). Put on proper shoes for the short but steep hike up to the springs. You’ll cross a bridge and ascend a lean, rocky trail until you reach the pools.

Sink in and soak it all up, listening to the rushing river and the breeze rustling through trees. Pool hop if you’re so inclined. Some like it hot.

TIP: Go early or late day to avoid the mid-afternoon crush, and make it weekday if possible. Also, some prefer their birthday suit to bathing suits, so you may get some full moons not forecasted on Farmers Almanac.

Check out the Best Southern Oregon Road Trips

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: In the episode "Road Trip to Spectacular: National Park, Hot Springs & Hikes" the Weekend Sherpa team discuss their adventures in Southern Oregon and visiting Umpqua Hot Springs.

Check the website for the area status of Umpqua Hot Springs. Here's a map to the trailhead.

2020 Travel: Here’s more information on Southern Oregon’s health guidelines and updates.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Hidden Botanical Garden

    Forget a dozen roses. Give your love a botanical garden. Hidden on the western slope of Sonoma Valley’s Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma Botanical Garden has one of the Bay Area’s best displays of Asian flora—and it’s a brilliant place for a quiet picnic and some calming contemplations.

    View
  2. Sunnyvale and Salty

    For up-close bird watching, it’s hard to beat a walk along the San Francisco Bay. This 5-mile loop on the Sunnyvale coast is a favorite of local wildlife photographers.

    View
  3. A man takes a break at a temple spot on a hike at Dragon Mountain in Milptas

    Dragon Quest

    The newly reopened, 4-mile out-and-back hike at Dragon Mountain in Milpitas mixes the physical with the spiritual for a serene hiking experience.

    View
  4. woman hiking Buck Gulch Falls Novato

    Buck Wild!

    Tucked back beyond the residential ranch-style homes and golf courses of Novato in the North Bay is a wild and wondrous 30-foot waterfall that springs to life in the rainy season. Buck Gulch Falls in Novato’s Ignacio Valley Preserve is in peak flow right now, and it’s a short and Middle-earthy hike to reach it.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. A woman stands at Dante's View in Death Valley, looking out to Telescope Peak and Manly Lake, Badwater Basin below.

    Sunset Hike at Dante's View

    It’s one of the world’s best places to watch a sunset. Dante’s View is a 5,476-foot vantage of the whole southern basin of Death Valley from the top of the Black Mountains. Right now there's a banner and bonus view of a rare lake formation that appears only after big rains.

    View
  2. Keough's Hot Springs

    Soaking Up History

    When you slide into the soothing water of Keough’s Hot Springs, you’re bathing in a piece of Owens Valley history.

    View
  3. It's a Waterfall Life

    Tahquitz Canyon’s crystalline stream and lush stands of desert lavender, honey mesquite, and leafy sycamores is home to an easy day hike with a big bonus: a 60-foot waterfall that runs with remarkable gusto after winter rains.

    View
  4. Grover Hot Springs

    State Park Soaker

    Set in an alpine meadow at 6,000 feet and surrounded by the 10,000-foot granite peaks of the Sierra, Grover Hot Springs State Park—just outside the town of Markleeville—has its very own hot springs.

    View