Summer Lake Hot Springs | Eastern Oregon

Summer Lake Hot Springs is a fantastic place to visit if you’re looking for a soaking experience that is well in tune with nature. The 145-acre rustic resort is located at the southern edge of the large alkali Summer Lake along the Oregon Outback Highway 31 or the National Scenic Byway.

The hot mineral water of the Summer Lake basin was used by Native people for healing and religious purposes thousands of years before the first Europeans discovered this area. In 1843 John Freemont, during his expedition to establish a path to the Willamette Valley, discovered and documented the hot springs near the beautiful lake. He gave it the name “Summer Lake”. In the next years, the hot springs became a popular destination for settlers to come and use the natural healing properties of the mineral water. Today, this is a still perfect place for anyone who wants to soak in the energy from the ground and stare up at the bright stars.

Enclosed into a barn-like building, an indoor swimming pool and three rock-lined outdoor pools were built near the hot springs. Natural mineral water comes out of the ground at 106-113°F and cools as transferred to the pools. The large 15-by-30-foot pool with a depth from 3.5 to 5 feet receives about 20 gallons of thermal water per minute on a continuous flow-through basis. Due to the rapid water flow, no chlorination is required.