Bagby Hot Springs

For as long as I can remember I’ve been a fan of both hiking and soaking in hot water. So when you can combine the two, even better!

Bagby Hot Springs offers a very easy 1.5 mile hike from the trailhead to the hot springs on well maintained trails. But as the guidebook says, don’t go if you get offended by nudity. Chances are you may just encounter that as Oregonians are known to enjoy a good soak in the middle of the wilderness au naturel.

During our communal soak, we occupied one tub which was next to three others. Visitors turn on the tap to let the hot water come in, then collect cold water in buckets from a tap outside the shelter until the tub reaches the right temperature.

Some naked neighbors of ours struggled to turn off their tap; it took all three to wrest the lever into the off position giving onlookers a rather funny sight. Finally successful, one young man turned to us and said ‘hey there’ and sat back into the tub to soak with his friends (another guy and a girl).

AllTrails.com offers some good info to know before heading out. We stopped at the Ripplebrook Camp Store and purchased $5/ea wrist bracelets that allowed us entry to the springs. (We didn’t end up needing to show them.) They were also available at the trail head. If you’re a germaphobe, may wanna skip the hot tubs. They are wooden and soak up plenty of microbes from all sorts no doubt.

Didn’t stop me this time, and won’t the next. ;)