CLOSED
Approximately 60 miles outside of Portland lies Austin Hot Springs, which is located on private land and is closed to the public.
Please respect the landowner and do not visit this natural hot springs.
Additional Information
From the Johnson Creek Watershed Council on behalf of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS):
Austin Hot Springs is a sacred site for numerous Native American peoples since time immemorial, the area was recently acquired by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) but has been overrun and degraded by trespassers who have been destroying signs, fences, leaving trash, long term camping, and leaving human feces. This is more than people not understanding leave no trace; this is active desecration. CTWS does not want people using the area, for a variety of reasons: it is sacred tribal land and was purchased for the conservation of fish and wildlife (and is legally private property); there are no services/facilities at the site; trespassers use the site to dump their garbage; the springs themselves can be quite dangerous, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 200° F (that’s close to boiling, and hot enough to scald on contact; several people have been severely burned in this spot); and it is not possible for them to monitor the site for safety.
Classic Photo: Oregon Historical Society 1920s
please leave the carpet in place until you can replaces it…this spring is know to throw off random plumes of VERY VERY hot water!
I have been going to Austin longer than it has been popular and the carpet in nasty. There is no need for it. If you feel you need something under yourself when you go into the springs you should bring something that you can take out yourself. This is a natural area not an area to leave carpet for your relaxation spot.
Are these springs still available to access?
Was going to go here next week but these comments have me second guessing that decision.
Also curious if it’s accessible, think I’ll check it out tomorrow.
Angie, did you go?
Not accessible, the ranger station said a native american tribe has purchased it, which I can only assume is the Warm Springs Indians, also said the sheriff has been up every other day to enforce no trespassing. I hear they are being secretive about there plans. Let’s just hope they have good luck and good intentions developing thecplace.
I was up there last week and didn’t have any problems! Please if you go up, take your trash with you,
Wow iam totally disgusted with Oregon. I was born and raised in Portland Oregon I’m 50 years old my parents took my family up to olallie Lake and the national forests around the area our intire childhood at least 10 times a year . Austin Hot Springs was most definitely included in our familly outtings . I have memories with Campground and a well maintained sanitary system . I haven’t been up there for the last 7 years and after going up there this Labor Day weekend I do not know if I will return sad to say the entire Forest around the hot springs he’s being used as a toilet nobody seems to teach the children or others how to dig a hole and bury your fecal matter. I mean I went on a trail that led to another deer trail and every 10ft there was toilet paper piles as far as you can see disgusting. this is what happens if it’s not maintained by our Forest Service because clearly the general public can’t maintain it either or won’t. disgusting totally . Come on people teach your children how to clean up after yourselves be proud of you in Oregon and what happened to The Pride I am just makes it saddens me. I have lost for words to describe how I feel our forest or turned into a toilet and yet 150 years ago we live it off these forests go visit it tell me if you want to live off of it now help make Oregon cleaner place to live
I am getting hep a and b vaccines since so many places in the wild/urban interface are so overused and no one wants to pay to clean up. Its what happens when population outstrips support systems
Blame dirty nudist materialistic wannabe “consciousness ascension” festival goers (in other words: millennials) who think the world is their oyster, that they’re at the center of their own universe while being seeped in sheer narcissism; and that its all about orgies, drugs and rainbow glitter sex… Idiots. I am so ashamed to be a millennial, I don’t even associate with my own generation any more. Yeah, they’re really at the “frontier” of consciousness ascension (excuse me while I fall over laughing).
That was me below, and no.. I didn’t go. Judging by recent descriptions, I don’t plan on it.. God I wish there was some hot springs SOMEWHERE that wasn’t packed full of ascension consciousness wannabes running around spewing their trash and narcissism everywhere.
I’m fascinated to read the cultural decline and total lack of sustaining in and around Portland. With what the state consumes in the rate of income taxes, you would think there was plenty of funds to keep Oregon, “postcard beautiful” but I guess all the revenue is being pissed away on attracting millions of Homeless folks that add to the litter in and around the urban cesspools. My family was outright lied to in the recruitment process to relocate here to Oregon. We will take our earning (income) and flee to a better state. One that actually cares about their parks and their people, and refuses to tolerate indigents.
So sad to read most of this.i have lived here most if my 63 years.my children are Oregon native.i choose this place for our home.i lived in colorado.i choose Pacific northwest. I use to hike weekly.every week,till I no longer could.i can’t figure out why people need to trash such a beautiful place.we get so many outsiders,I don’t consider myself an outsider.i have volunteer for many things an
d many ways to give back.why is it so hard to pick up your own trash and waste.when you g9 into one of our beautiful places leave it without any thing that’s not natural.take a shovel bury you human waste.take a garbage bag and leave it better than you found it.it will last forever that way.Dam just care a little.please.
Just disregard the majority of the above comments. There’s a lot of ignorance spewed here. Austin is a hor spring with distinct seasonal moods and is very definitely not public land. I can be the most beautiful place or a sesspool of idiots. To start with, it has been continually used by the public forever, that continues unabashed. It was a PGE park, then was sold to some guy, foreclosed to some investors that tried to fill it with landfill unsuccessfully, and now recently it is owned by the Warm Springs Indians. According to locals and long-term summer campers there has been no particular push by the tribe to kick the public out. Over the years the sheriffs do occasionally come and chase every one out. Technically the springs are under the high water mark of the river and are therefore legal for anyone to access. If you access with a watercraft, you can stay. The trespassing comes from crossing the land from the street. Although camping here is common, it is gross as slobs just leave their feces and trash everywhere. Group do come and voluntarily clean up sometimes. If you come bring a bag and haul some trash. In the summer its very popular-probably over 50 people crowd in, leaving their trash and diapers everywhere. This is also when the pools are huge and deep. Family oriented-don’t go nude- the large regular group of Orthodox Russians will throw rocks at you. If you have to, wait until night or early morning. Spring and late fall the springs are quiet and gorgeous, but also smaller and prone to moving uphill, so bring gloves and a bucket and build your adventure. The springs are useable in winter, but you will have to dig and will hold only a couple people. Also you must always sit on a rug or hot bursts will scald your bum. The hot pool will melt skin off children and dogs, but is great for boiling eggs. I’ve seen boiled lobsters and canned food cooked in that pool too. Seriously. No, you can’t win a law suit-they made a law special for it. Dusk during the meteor showers is amazing-so many bats swooping and shooting stars. If you’re really brave cross the river upstream a bit for another large very well controlled hot spring.