Alvord Hot Springs

If you're passing

Is it plungeworthy?

—temperature

A natural thermal spring.

Scale30/60

Documentation14/20

Character10/20

The details

Soak: Temperature unrecorded
Area: Adel
Coordinates: 42.544, -118.533

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About Alvord Hot Springs

Alvord Hot Springs is a natural hot spring in Oregon.

At that temperature it's temperature unrecorded — check current conditions and always test the water before getting in.

Plungeworthy rates Alvord Hot Springs 5.4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Two concrete pools from the 1940s at the edge of the Alvord Desert playa, staring up at Steens Mountain's mile-high fault scarp. Source water near 170°F blends down to soaking temperature, and the setting — cracked white lakebed to the horizon, some of the darkest night sky in the lower 48 — is the entire point.

Getting there

Trailhead: Roadside — the pools are steps from the lot at the private resort office
Parking: Gravel on-site lot (36095 E Steens Rd, Princeton)
Road: East Steens Road — county gravel, washboard, fine for 2WD when dry, greasy after rain
Hike: 0 mi round trip (easy)
Heads up: Privately run: bathhouse, bunkhouses, RV and tent sites on site.

When to go

Spring and fall are ideal — summer bakes and winter mud can own the road. Sunrise and star soaks are the signature moves; overnight guests get 24-hour pool access.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Private day-use fee, roughly $15–20/adult by recent visitor reports (owner doesn't publish rates — call 541-589-2282); camping/bunkhouse stays include soaking
Dogs: Leashed in camp; reports say not in the pools
Hours: Day use in business hours (~8am–10pm); 24-hour for overnight guests
Camping: On-site, plus dispersed playa camping via the private access road
Warnings: The unmixed source is scalding — stay out of anything unblended. Don't drive the soft northwest lakebed near the springs; vehicles bury themselves.

Researched from Alvord Hot Springs — official · Soak Destinations — Alvord guide. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Alvord Hot Springs recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.