Borax Hot Springs & Borax Lake: Stunning Geothermal Wonder in the High Desert

Located in southeastern Oregon, Borax Hot Springs is one of the three main geothermal features of the Alvord Basin, alongside Alvord Hot Springs and Mickey Hot Springs, which lie 2 and 4 miles to the north, respectively. All three springs are part of the same active fault zone.

Set within a dramatic basin flanked by rotational fault blocks—the Steens and Pueblo Mountains to the west and the Sheepshead and Trout Creek Mountains to the east—the springs align precisely along the fault line. This alignment also includes numerous thermal vents and Borax Lake, also called Hot Lake.

Spanning about 10 acres, Borax Lake is fed by a powerful geothermal spring that rises from depths over 100 feet (32 m). The outflow temperatures of the springs (specifically Borax Lake and associated vents) range from 104°F to about 196°F (40–91°C), while the lake's surface temperatures typically vary from 61°F to 100°F (16–38°C). The overflow from Borax Lake feeds into Little Borax Lake, sustaining a unique wetland ecosystem in this arid landscape.

Borax Lake's Industrial Past

Near the lake, rusting remnants of steel vats mark the site of an old borax extraction facility. In 1898, entrepreneurs Charles Taylor and John Fulton relocated their borax operation from Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to Hot Lake in southeastern Oregon—soon to be renamed Borax Lake.

They constructed two steel processing vats and employed around 30 Chinese workers to run the operation. Borax (sodium borate), collected from the lakebed and surrounding desert surface, was mixed with hot spring water from the lake’s center. To precipitate the borate, sulphuric acid was added, and the mixture was brought to a boil. As the solution cooled, pure crystalline borax formed and was later transported by mule train to Winnemucca, Nevada.

By 1907, the quality and concentration of sodium borate in the area had declined, making production no longer viable. The operation ceased, leaving behind the rusted industrial traces still visible today.

The water of the hot springs contains the highest concentrations of sodium borate (borax), arsenic, and lead, making it unsafe to drink.

In 1993, The Nature Conservancy acquired 160 acres of private land, including Borax Lake, to protect the endangered Borax Lake chub and the fragile geothermal ecosystem.

The area is currently managed by The Nature Conservancy, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. As Borax Lake is a biological preserve, only foot traffic is permitted beyond the second gate.

Visitors are welcome to explore the site; however, swimming in the lake and soaking in the hot springs are prohibited due to health hazards and the need to preserve this exceptional and delicate ecosystem.

Cautions: The scalding temperatures, steam, and fragile ground surface - all of those make this place unsafe. The scalding temperatures, steam, and fragile ground surface make this area unsafe. Posted signs warn visitors to watch their step, as the thin ground could break underfoot and expose them to boiling water.