iamalouse
Member
I am a huge hot spring fan, although I've only really explored the ones closest to Portland, OR. They make fall/winter camping so much better, warmer, cleaner, sexier. 
There was one time I went to Bagby (in Mt. Hood National Forest) with my partner and we camped for like 5 days. We slept in the hot springs at night. They have these little private hot springs with doors and shit, and not many people are there past midnight. Up at the hot spring site there is plenty of clean cold water piped over to cool the springs and it's clean enough to drink. I would set up tent and all that shit a ways down the trail near a creek where there were some pretty private camp sites. I haven't been there in quite some time, but when I was there more regularly the forest service people never fucked with me once and were really nice every time I talked to them since I wasn't some dumb bro that would come up there in the weekend, get drunk, and leave a huge mess. It's free, except paying for a parking permit for the day. I imagine in the summer it would be easy enough to hitchhike out there. There are other hot springs in that area too- Austin hot springs is not far, is closer to the highway, doesn't involve a 2 mile hike, but it's on private property (I've never had a problem). It's still free. There are more in that area that cost $$... meh.... There's also Cougar hotsprings closer to Eugene, but I always manage to miss it when I am traveling through from Bend to Eug... And I've found more around there but since losing touch with the locals I knew in those little bumfuck towns I can't seem to find them again either.
Do any of you know of good, free hot springs in the NW? Especially in NorCal, I'd love to know what's going on around here since I'll be passing through again and November camping is just so much better if you have a hot pool of water to chill in while it's fucking raining. Ya know? Or if you just know if some good winter camp spots without hot springs I want your knowledge!
There was one time I went to Bagby (in Mt. Hood National Forest) with my partner and we camped for like 5 days. We slept in the hot springs at night. They have these little private hot springs with doors and shit, and not many people are there past midnight. Up at the hot spring site there is plenty of clean cold water piped over to cool the springs and it's clean enough to drink. I would set up tent and all that shit a ways down the trail near a creek where there were some pretty private camp sites. I haven't been there in quite some time, but when I was there more regularly the forest service people never fucked with me once and were really nice every time I talked to them since I wasn't some dumb bro that would come up there in the weekend, get drunk, and leave a huge mess. It's free, except paying for a parking permit for the day. I imagine in the summer it would be easy enough to hitchhike out there. There are other hot springs in that area too- Austin hot springs is not far, is closer to the highway, doesn't involve a 2 mile hike, but it's on private property (I've never had a problem). It's still free. There are more in that area that cost $$... meh.... There's also Cougar hotsprings closer to Eugene, but I always manage to miss it when I am traveling through from Bend to Eug... And I've found more around there but since losing touch with the locals I knew in those little bumfuck towns I can't seem to find them again either.
Do any of you know of good, free hot springs in the NW? Especially in NorCal, I'd love to know what's going on around here since I'll be passing through again and November camping is just so much better if you have a hot pool of water to chill in while it's fucking raining. Ya know? Or if you just know if some good winter camp spots without hot springs I want your knowledge!
