You’ve probably seen photos of Oregon’s picturesque nature and their incredible natural hot springs. Umpqua did not disappoint and it was worth the 4 hour drive from Portland. We went to Umpqua mid February, thinking no one else would try to go since it was rather cold. Boy were we wrong! We wanted to beat any potential possibility of crowds so we woke up at 6am and hiked our way up to the hot springs. I was shocked to see 4 people already there at 730am and even more shocked to see how many people were coming around 1pm.
Note: Go earlier! the earlier the less crowded it will be 🙂
Accomodation
There are quite a couple campgrounds in Umpqua to choose from. You do also have the option of staying in a nearby town; however that is still quite a distance. To save on time and enjoy the serene environment Umpqua offers, i would stay on the campgrounds! We stayed at an adorable cabin that was a 15 min drive from the hot springs! This cute AirBnB was located at “The Last Resort.” It had everything we needed for the night including some dvds for us to watch and relax since there is limited wifi available.
Hike Duration
Due to the snow, the path to the parking lot was closed off. We had to park our cars on the side of a road where a couple other vehicles were parked and begin our 1 hour trek to the parking lot. From the parking lot, it is a decently quick stroll up (15-20 mins) the mountain to get to the hot springs. Be careful as the steeper it got, the icier the path was.
What to wear
Bundle up! Portland was rainy but there was no snow. As soon as we got into Umpqua, there was quite a bit of snow. I would highly suggest warm socks, boots with grip, thick jacket and mitts! Coming from Canada where our winters are -30 degrees celsius, the weather in Umpqua wasn’t bad. It was snowy but there was thankfully no wind chill and the sun was out! Best to dress warm as the trek is long and the snow is high.
This beautiful location is definitely worth the trek. Going in the winter has its perks – less people and more time for you to slowly soak in these hot pools surrounded by nature. Have you gone to Umpqua? how was your experience?
