Crystal Crane Hot Springs | Eastern Oregon

The rugged terrain of Eastern Oregon seems bleak and lifeless until you visit the bubbling away Crystal Crane Hot Springs. This destination is beautiful, beneficial, and etched so deep in history that people come from far away to experience it. When you have some time to relax and enjoy, make a road trip to this part of Oregon and get the unique opportunities the hot springs offer.

Crystal Crane Hot Springs is a rustic resort on 160 acres, located 25 miles southeast of Burns at the edge of the Alvord Desert. These natural mineral springs are a perfect spot to soak while enjoying a panoramic view of the sagebrush desert and the low southeastern Oregon sky.

The resort is a great and quiet place that offers public and private soaking in geothermal mineral water. The big, 80 feet in diameter, and 7 feet deep in the center, the open-air pond is suitable for swimming and soaking. Water comes from two artesian wells (180°F and 120°F) and mixes with cooler water before coming to the pond. Also, the temperatures of the pool vary due to weather conditions, and they usually range between 97°F (36°C) and 103°F (39°C), which is warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

There are six private cedar bathhouses with individual soaking tubs that can be filled at any comfortable temperature.

The resort offers overnight visitors the opportunity to stay in waterfront cabins, RV and tent sites, inns, and houses. On-site tepees feature sleeping accommodations, soaking tubs, and heated floors. Reservations are recommended in advance. A day-use pass for the pond's admissions can be purchased for a fair price.

Since the early 1900s, Crystal Crane Hot Springs had been used by European settlers, but not for the purpose that this gorgeous destination is used for nowadays – but instead, using the water and breezy air to do laundry!

Thankfully, by the 1920s, the relaxing benefits of the spring’s waters had finally been recognized by local doctors. With this realization, a hot spring swimming pool was built. However, trouble struck when it was realized that the nearly 180-degree Fahrenheit water was too hot for anybody to enjoy. There was no cold water available at that time. While visitors were waiting for the water to get cooler, they spent their time in a dance hall and restaurant. In the 1930s, the original buildings were destroyed by fire and were never rebuilt. You can still find remnants of history near the Sage Inn.

There were other attempts to revive the resort, but most resort-like features were built in 1997 when new owners purchased the property. Renovations such as cedar-enclosed bathhouses upgraded RV facilities, upgraded motel and cabin accommodations, and the 7-feet hot spring pond turned this holiday spot into a multi-use vacation destination.