• Snively Hot Springs offers a unique riverside soaking experience with stunning views of the Owyhee River Canyon
Tucked along the Owyhee River in Oregon’s high desert, Snively Hot Springs offers a classic riverside soak with panoramic canyon views and easy roadside access.
As the geothermal water bubbles up near Owyhee Lake Road, it’s channeled into a rock-lined pool right on the river’s edge. With the Owyhee River Canyon as your backdrop, full of layered basalt walls, vivid desert hues, and big-sky sunsets. This natural hot spring delivers one of the most scenic soaking experiences in Eastern Oregon.
Access is generally best from summer through fall. During spring runoff or dam releases, the Snively Hot Springs pool can be submerged, and currents may be swift. Always check river conditions before you go.
Snively Hot Springs sits on BLM land about 12 miles below Owyhee Dam. Facilities are minimal: a large parking area, a pit toilet, and a picnic table. The nearest services are in the surrounding Owyhee region communities, so plan ahead, bring water, and pack out everything you bring in.
The Snively Hot Springs recreation area gets overused and littered. To keep the place clean and safe, BLM allows day use only. Camping and fires are prohibited. Glass containers are prohibited within 30 feet of hot springs.
Please, pack all your trash and leave no trace behind!
Caution. Watch out for poison oak along the riverbank and around the parking area.
Snively Hot Springs Experience
Geothermal water up to 150°F emerges from the hillside roughly 300 feet from the river, then flows through a shallow ditch into a river-rock soaking pool. The pool is typically 2–3 feet deep, and temperatures vary widely depending on river flow and proximity to the spring source.
Because the hot spring water mixes with cold Owyhee River water, you’ll find hot and cool pockets throughout the pool. Test before you settle in because some areas can be too hot or surprisingly chilly. For a comfortable soak:
- Move closer to or farther from the inflow to fine-tune your temperature.
- Gently stir the water with your hands to even out the hot and cold layers.
- Consider bringing a small bucket to add cool river water if needed.
Best Time to Visit
- Summer–Fall: Most reliable conditions for soaking; clearer water levels and easier access.
- Spring: The pool is often underwater during snowmelt and dam releases; always assess river conditions.
- Winter: Open year-round, but roads can be icy and river levels fluctuate; be prepared for cold-weather travel.
Beyond Hot Springs: Things to Do at Snively Hot Springs
The Owyhee River Canyon is a breathtaking expanse of high desert, offering many outdoor adventures, including hiking, kayaking, rafting, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, rockhounding, and wildlife watching.
Driving through the majestic labyrinth that is the Owyhee River Canyon is an unparallel experience in its own right. Graveyard Point and Succor Creek areas would be particularly interesting for rock collectors. Both spots are a source of unique and beautiful mineral specimens.
For adventure-seeking visitors, multiple hiking options range from easy to moderate to challenging. Whether it is a leisurely stroll you want or an adrenaline-pumping trek, you can find those in the Owyhee River Canyon. Camping along the shores of the Owyhee Reservoir or taking a boat out onto its serene waters offers a chance to connect with nature in its purest of forms.
The river below the dam offers rafting and fishing for brown and rainbow trout.
Snively Hot Springs Camping & Lodging
Camping and fire are prohibited within 30 feet of the hot springs. However, camping is allowed at any other place on the BLM land.
Budget-friendly accommodations are available in Otrario, 31 miles northeast, or in Nampa, 47 miles southwest.
Affordable vacation rentals for short and long term stay at Nampa, Idaho
Snively Hot Springs | Facts
Location: 31 miles southwest of Ontario • Eastern Oregon • USA
Best time: Summer through early fall from dawn to dusk
Development: Wild
Clothing: Optional
Amenities: Pit toilet & picnic table
Restrictions: No camping, no fires, no shooting, no glass containers allowed within 30 feet of the pool
Hiking distance: Short
Road Access: Any vehicle
Day-use: Free
Managed by: Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Elevation: 2,400 ft (732 m)
Water T° (source): 134°F (57°C) - 150°F (66°C)
Water T° (pool): 90°F (32°C) - 120°F (49°C)
Water acidity level: Alkaline (pH=9.2)
Springs Type: Sodium and Calcium Chloride Sulfate
Chemical used: None
| Cations Sodium (Na) - 93 Mg/L Calcium (Ca) - 2.7 Mg/L Potassium (K) - 1.1 Mg/L | Anions Sulfate (SO4) - 91.7 Mg/L Silica (SiO2) - 70.2 Mg/L Chloride (Cl) - 19.5 Mg/L Fluoride (F) - 15 Mg/L |
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Directions to Snively Hot Springs
From Ontario,
- Drive toward E Idaho Ave
- Take I-84 East and drive 4 miles toward Boise
- Take exit 3 for US-95, turn right onto US-95 South, and continue 7.2 miles to US-20/US-26
- Turn right and continue 2.4 miles to OR-201 South
- Turn left onto toward Lake Owyhee and continue for about 8 miles to Owyhee Avenue
- Turn right onto Owyhee Avenue and drive 4 miles to Owyhee Lake Road
- Turn left and continue on Owyhee Lake Road for 6.5 miles to the parking area on the left.
There used to be a swimming pool at the site where the grove of trees are. There are rattlesnakes and ticks in the area.
There are rattlesnakes in the area.
Ticks are also something to be considered.
A little bit of a history lesson…for you.
There used to a swimming pool located where the large trees grow. The Owyhee Dam up stream is built over an extinct volcano. The site was called hole in the ground.
There is a fault line through the canyon.
The large pipes you see along the road to Snively hot springs are irrigation pipes connected to canals and tunnels from the Owyhee Dam.