Terwilliger Hot Springs
Blue River, Oregon · on Rider Creek · Willamette National Forest
Verified · 6 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- hot spring
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $12 per person
- SEASON
- Year-round
About Terwilliger Hot Springs
Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs is a well-known clothing-optional geothermal soaking site on Rider Creek in the Willamette National Forest, reached by a short forest trail off the Aufderheide Scenic Byway near Blue River, Oregon. Visitors soak in a series of rock-walled natural pools stepped down a ravine, fed by spring water that starts near 112°F and cools to about 85°F in the lowest pool. It is managed as an official USFS day-use recreation site with a per-person fee.
The springs sit in old-growth forest along Rider Creek, about a quarter- to four-tenths-of-a-mile walk from a small parking area on Forest Road 19 (Aufderheide Scenic Byway), roughly 53 miles east of Eugene and a few miles south of Blue River/Finn Rock.
Swimming at Terwilliger Hot Springs
This is a hot-springs soaking experience rather than a cold swimming hole: four (some sources say six) rock-walled pools are arranged in steps down the hillside, each 3-12 feet across and averaging 2-3 feet deep, with mostly bedrock floors and some gravel/sand. Temperatures range from about 112°F at the uppermost pool down to roughly 85°F in the lowest, so visitors can choose a pool by temperature preference. Clothing is optional in the pools.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Highway 126 near Blue River, go about 4 miles to Forest Road 19 (Aufderheide Scenic Byway), then head south about 5 miles to the Terwilliger/Cougar Hot Springs parking lot; the trail to the pools starts from there.
Parking: Small paved lot at the trailhead on Forest Road 19; parking on the paved surface of Road 19 itself is prohibited, and RVs, buses, and trailers must use pullouts near Forest Roads 1985/1986 or the Cougar Crossing Day Use Area.
The hike in
Rider Creek Trail (#3319)
- To the water
- about 0.25-0.4 mile one-way (USFS states 1/4 mile; a first-hand trip report states 0.4 mile/0.6 km)
- Time on foot
- About 15 minutes each way at a normal walking pace.
Difficulty: Easy, described by USFS and trip reports as a short, almost entirely flat forested walk with no significant elevation gain or creek crossings.
Trailhead: Starts at the small paved parking lot on Forest Road 19 (Aufderheide Scenic Byway), about 5 miles south of the FR 19 turnoff from Hwy 126 near Blue River, OR.
This is the entire trail to the hot springs (not a longer through-trail), Rider Creek Trail #3319 runs directly from the parking lot to the soaking pools and ends there.
Post-2018 wildfire, the trail can have loose rock and downed/weakened trees in places; otherwise straightforward.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Pools are shallow (2-3 ft avg) and calm with no current, which is physically easy for kids, but the upper pools run up to 112°F (scald risk for young children) and the site is clothing-optional with no lifeguards or staff supervision, plus a history of a small number of serious incidents (drowning, assault, a 2020 medical-event death) noted on Wikipedia. Families do bring kids per soakoregon.com's guide, but should stick to the cooler lower pools and supervise closely.
Parking
Paid, $12/person for a 2-hour day-use visit (USFS site fee, functions as combined parking+entry); one first-hand account cites a $10 cash fee, so exact pricing may vary by season/source
Small paved lot directly on Forest Road 19 (Aufderheide Scenic Byway). Roadside/double parking on FR 19 itself is prohibited. RVs, buses, and trailers must use the pullout near FR 1985/1986 or Cougar Crossing Day Use Area instead of the main lot.
Restrooms
Yes
Vault toilets at the parking-lot trailhead; composting restrooms located near the hot-spring pools themselves (per USFS site page).
Water clarity
Clear
soakoregon.com's trip-report stats explicitly describe the pool water as clear; this is spring-fed water rather than runoff, consistent with a clear rating.
Hours
Day-use only, open sunrise to 10:00 p.m.; closed overnight 10 p.m.-sunrise. One source notes the site is closed Thursday mornings for cleaning.
On the water
Restrictions: Not applicable/not permitted, the soaking pools are small (3-12 ft across, 2-3 ft deep) rock-walled hot-spring pools on a short creek stretch, not a paddling body of water. No source mentions kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or boats at the springs themselves.
Rider Creek drains a few miles downstream into Cougar Reservoir, which does support boating, but that is a distinct water body/destination from the hot-spring pools this listing covers; no rental or outfitter business could be confirmed serving Cougar Reservoir with the sources accessible during this research pass.
What regulars say
50 people); regulars recommend arriving early on weekdays and avoiding peak summer to beat crowds, and to bring your own food and water since the nearest services are 30-40 minutes away.
Backstory
The pools were built up by visitors over time; a nonprofit called Friends of the Springs has provided stewardship oversight since studies in 1982, and volunteers renovated the pools with natural mortar construction in 2009 (about $40,000). A December 2017 landslide closed northern access, and an August 2018 fire damaged trails; the springs reopened July 1, 2019.
Terwilliger Hot Springs: FAQ
Does Terwilliger Hot Springs charge a fee?
Day-use fee of $12 per person (ages 12+) for a 2-hour visit per the official Forest Service page; one first-hand account cited a $10 cash fee, so exact current pricing may vary.
Is Terwilliger Hot Springs kid friendly?
Pools are shallow (2-3 ft avg) and calm with no current, which is physically easy for kids, but the upper pools run up to 112°F (scald risk for young children) and the site is clothing-optional with no lifeguards or staff supervision, plus a history of a small number of serious incidents (drowning, assault, a 2020 medical-event death) noted on Wikipedia. Families do bring kids per soakoregon.com's guide, but should stick to the cooler lower pools and supervise closely.
How hard is the hike to Terwilliger Hot Springs?
A hike is required, about about 0.25-0.4 mile one-way (USFS states 1/4 mile; a first-hand trip report states 0.4 mile/0.6 km) to the water (about 15 minutes each way at a normal walking pace.). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for Terwilliger Hot Springs?
Small paved lot directly on Forest Road 19 (Aufderheide Scenic Byway). Roadside/double parking on FR 19 itself is prohibited. RVs, buses, and trailers must use the pullout near FR 1985/1986 or Cougar Crossing Day Use Area instead of the main lot.
When is the best time to visit Terwilliger Hot Springs?
Open year-round, but Forest Road 19 receives no winter maintenance for snow/ice, so late spring through early fall (April-September) offers the most reliable access; weekday mornings are recommended to avoid the 50-person capacity cap.
What are the rules at Terwilliger Hot Springs?
Day-use only (no camping at the springs), site closed 10:00 p.m. to sunrise, alcohol prohibited, nudity may not be visible from the Aufderheide Scenic Byway, no pets allowed in the pools (leashed pets permitted elsewhere with restrictions), soaking capped at 2 hours per visit.
What water body is Terwilliger Hot Springs on?
Terwilliger Hot Springs is on Rider Creek, a natural hot spring verified in USGS hydrography data.
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