Bagby Hot Springs - An Enchanting Destination in Mt Hood National Forest

Located in the dense woods of the Mountain Hood National Forest, Bagby Hot Springs is a small and almost fairy-tale like place in close proximity to the big cities such as Portland, Salem, and Vancouver. A picturesque getaway destination with primitive facilities would take you back to the time when everything was simpler.

There is no parking area or camping directly at the hot springs, so an easy hike is required. Parking and camping facilities are located at the Bagby Trailhead, roughly 1.4 miles from the hot springs. It would take 45 - 60 minutes of hiking at a moderate pace through the fantastic old-growth forest.

Bagby Hot Springs are available for use 24 hours a day and year-round. Weekends and holidays can get rather busy and, sometimes, you need to wait for a vacant tub. Law enforcement officers regularly visit the spring to ensure laws are being followed.

There are three bathhouses. The main bathhouse is also known as the Private Deck due to each tub has its own room, making it the most popular among visitors. The lower bathhouse deck holds four of the original tubs salvaged from the fire in 1979 and is considered a communal soaking bath. The most distant of the bathhouses is used also for communal soaking.

The hot mineral water emerges from two sources at a temperature of about 136 degrees Fahrenheit and flows through wooden flumes to the bathhouses. The flumes are hollowed out cedar logs with length of 10 feet and diameter up to 3 feet. The geothermal water is too hot for soaking and should be mixed with cold water from the springs nearby.

Nudity is permitted in private bathtubs only. Alcohol is prohibited.

The natural hot springs in this area have served as a healing and rejuvenating retreat for Native Americans over centuries. The discovery of this remarkable spot is credited to hunter Bob Bagby, who, in the 1880s, not only found it but also used for therapeutic purposes.

In 1913, the guard station was erected near the hot springs, primarily for the purpose of fire patrol during the summer fire seasons.

In the 1920s, Forest Service employees built a bathhouse and cabins to utilize the benefits of the hot springs.

In 1974, a new guard station was built in Oak Grove, and the Bagby Guard station underwent renovations, earning a place on the National Register of Historic Places. However, public access to the building was restricted.

The bathhouse and cabins were actively used until the fire in 1979 which burned wooden structures to the ground. It happened because one of the bathers accidentally left candles burning. It took over 5 years to rebuild the original bathhouse, along with the additional bathhouses that now provide a great opportunity to use the incredible benefits of the Bagby's mineral hot water.

Open: Year-round 24 hours, trails can be closed in winter
Managed by: US Forest Service

Development: Primitive, rustic bathhouses, and wooden tubs
Amenities: None except a pit toilet
Clothing: Required in public places

Distance from the parking: 1.4 miles
Road access: Any passenger vehicle
Day-use fees: Yes or Interagency Annual Pass

Elevation: 2,280 ft (695 m)

Bagby Hot Springs is located:

38 miles southeast of Estacada
67 miles southeast of Portland
89 miles east of Salem.

Water T°: 120°F (49°C) - 138°F (59°C)
Water acidity level: Alkaline (pH=9.7)
Type of the springs: Mixed
Flow rate: 26 gallon/min (100 l/min)
Chemical used: None

Average dissolved solids: 260 Mg/L

Silica (SiO2)- 81.5 Mg/L
Carbonate (CO3)- 68 Mg/L
Sodium (Na)- 54 Mg/L
Sulfate (SO4)- 30.7 Mg/L
Chloride (Cl)- 14.6 Mg/L
Bromide (Br)- 5 Mg/L
Calcium (Ca)- 3.7 Mg/L
Potassium (K)- 0.8 Mg/L
Fluoride (F)- 0.68 Mg/L
Boron (B) - 0.6 Mg/L
Magnesium (Mg)- 0.1 Mg/L

From Portland,

From I-205, take exit 12 in Clackamas and follow Highway 224 East.

From Salem,

Drive on Highway 213 to Molalla, turn right onto Highway 211. Before Estacada, turn right onto Highway 224.

Drive 25.3 miles southeast on Highway 224 from Estacada (junction OR-224 and OR-224E) to Forest Road NF-46
Highway 224 becomes road 46, bear right after the Ripplebrook Ranger Station and crossing the Oak Grove Fork of the Clackamas River
Continue 3.5 miles on NF-46 to Forest Road 63, then turn right onto Forest Road 63
Drive 3 miles to Forest Road 70 and turn right
Follow next 5.5 miles to the Bagby Trailhead.

The Bagby Trailhead and parking facility are on the left.

Phone (US Forest Service): 503-630-6861

GPS (Hot Springs): N 44°56.120' W 122°10.422 | 44.9353,-122.1737

Get Google Maps Directions (Trailhead abd Bagby Campground)