The Long Way
Douglas County
Soaking tub shelter, Umpqua Hot Springs.
Plate I. Soaking tub shelter, Umpqua Hot Springs. Photograph by Stephen Wood, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Trail bridge, Umpqua Hot Springs Trailhead.
Plate II. Trail bridge, Umpqua Hot Springs Trailhead. Photograph by Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Umpqua Hot Springs Trailhead

Toketee, Douglas County, Oregon. Natural hot springs: a steep 0.3-mile trail to a travertine soaking tub.

Details

Map. Toketee, Douglas County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
Toketee, Douglas County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
When
Day Use Only - open sunrise to sunset.
Season
Road to the springs typically closes in the winter months; winter visitors hike, snowshoe, or ski the last 2.5 miles.
Getting there
From Roseburg, OR, take OR-138 east toward Diamond Lake Boulevard; turn left at milepost 59 onto Forest Road 34; at the bottom of the hill turn left across the concrete bridge; go 2.2 miles and turn right onto Forest Road 3401; proceed 0.7 mile to a parking area on the left.
Fees
Forest-operated developed recreation sites no longer accept cash or check; Scan & Pay is available at campgrounds, trailheads, and picnic day use areas across the forest.
Access
The Umpqua Hot Springs area is designated day-use only; prohibited actions include being in the area after sundown or before sunrise, camping, or parking or leaving a vehicle in violation of posted instructions.
Phone
541-496-3532 (North Umpqua Ranger Station)
Managed by
U.S. Forest Service, Umpqua National Forest.
Coordinates
43.29513, -122.3625.

Day-use springs on a bare rock face 150 feet above the North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River; water seeps through an active fault at 100 to 115 degrees; view of Surprise Falls from the open-air sheltered tub; expect high use and nudity.

Notable Events

  1. 1930sA tub was excavated in the travertine rock surrounding the springs in the early 1930s, with a three-sided shelter constructed a few years later; additional, unofficial tubs were later added. kcby.com
  2. 2016The Umpqua National Forest issued new rules for Umpqua Hot Springs, banning overnight camping and implementing a new $5 day-use fee. spokesman.com
  3. According to the Forest Service, surveyors, hunters and prospectors traveling in the area in the late 19th century documented the location. kcby.com
  4. The Umpqua National Forest issued a temporary closure of the hot springs to soaking to address concerns from very high E.coli counts; the springs reopened to use in early 2016. kpic.com

People

  • Alan Knudtson, Forest Service employee who bathed at the springs in the 1940s; his interview is the thesis's source for the springs' history (1940s).
  • Carlos Neal, Forest Service lookout keeper who used the hot spring as his private bath and cut the bath tub in the travertine.
  • Jessie (Hatfield) Wright, Homesteader who told Alan Knudtson that the local Indians used to bathe in the natural hot water (early in the century).
  • Perry Wright, Homesteader up the North Umpqua who camped at the big meadow near the hot springs while ranging cattle and bathed at the spring (early in the century).
  • Jimmy Tyree, Diamond Lake District Ranger who announced the day-use-only designation.

Sources

  1. fs.usda.gov/r06/umpqua/recreation/umpqua-hot-springs-trailhead
  2. fs.usda.gov/r06/umpqua/recreation/trails/umpqua-hot-springs-trail
  3. fs.usda.gov/r06/umpqua/alerts
  4. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Umpqua_Hot_Springs
  5. kpic.com/news/local/umpqua-hot-springs-now-day-use-only-to-help-recover-from-excessive-use
  6. deschutesmeridian.com/hotsprings/horowitz_1973.pdf
  7. oregon.gov/dogami/gtilo/ngds/sprg/DO-002.pdf
  8. kcby.com/outdoors/umpqua-hot-springs-now-day-use-only-to-help-recover-from-excessive-use
  9. spokesman.com/stories/2025/jun/06/federal-officials-changed-rules-to-protect-umpqua-