The Long Way
Lane County
Soaking pools at Terwilliger Hot Springs.
Plate I. Soaking pools at Terwilliger Hot Springs. Photograph by Kane5187, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Terwilliger Hot Springs Trailhead

Blue River, Lane County, Oregon. Hot springs.

Details

Map. Blue River, Lane County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
Blue River, Lane County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
When
Day use only: open sunrise to 10pm.
Season
Open all year, but Forest Service Road 19 is not maintained for snow and ice in the winter.
Getting there
FROM HIGHWAY 126: From Blue River, OR, travel 4 miles east on Highway 126 to Aufderheide Scenic Byway (Forest Road 19). Continue on south Aufderheide Drive, taking a right at the Y to the top of Cougar Reservoir. Continue south on Aufderheide Drive for 5 miles to Terwilliger Hot Springs parking lot.
Fees
$12 per person per 2 hours.
Access
Closed to all use 10:00 p.m. to sunrise; possession or consumption of alcohol is prohibited; camping restricted to developed campgrounds in the Cougar Recreation Area; no pets allowed at the site/hot springs; service animals must be leashed and under control.
Walk-in or reserve
No reservations available.
Phone
(541) 822-3381
Managed by
Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District.
Coordinates
44.08329, -122.23756.

Enjoy the 1/4 mile hike along the Rider Creek Trail (#3319) to the clothing optional hot springs. There are four soaking pools spaced apart by rock walls laid out in steps down a ravine. Temperatures range from 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the lower pool to 112 degrees Fahrenheit in the upper pool.

Notable Events

  1. 1980sThe U.S. Forest Service and local nonprofits have maintained the four geothermal pools since the 1980s. bendbulletin.com
  2. 2017A December 2017 landslide cut off access to the springs, leaving them open to the public for only a matter of weeks before the fire closed the area. katu.com
  3. 2018The site was heavily impacted by the 2018 Terwilliger Fire; hazard trees around the hot springs were mitigated, but loose rocks, flooding, debris flows, and falling weakened trees remained risks. fs.usda.gov
  4. 2019Crews removed hazards and repaired the trail in the wake of the Terwilliger Fire, and the springs reopened to the public. katu.com

People

  • Hiram Terwilliger, developer of the hot springs area (1860s).

Sources

  1. fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/recreation/terwilliger-cougar-hot-springs
  2. fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/recreation/terwilliger-cougar-hot-springs
  3. katu.com/news/local/popular-oregon-hot-springs-damaged-by-wildfire-to-reopen-to-public-july-1
  4. bendbulletin.com/2026/02/12/february-hike-capped-by-soak-at-willamettes-cougar-hot-springs
  5. lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/outdoors/2026/02/15/two-places-to-soak-where-the-faint-sulfur-smell-is-part-of-the-charm