August 24th, 2015 /// Umpqua National Forest, Oregon
A Little Slice of Heaven — Writing about this place makes me feel so warm inside, bringing back amazing memories of sitting under the blanket of the sky and soaking in hot pools filled with natural water right from the source. It doesn’t get anymore romantic than that.
This magical place is located only 64 miles from Roseburg, Oregon and an hour from Crater Lake. As we putt putted into the parking area, we were welcomed by a bunch of awesome hippies that turned out to call this place home. Camping right next to the rushing river is one way to experience this magical place however we decided to stay warm and cozy in our VW bus.
The hot springs are a short 1200 feet hike up through the woods and oh man is it magical. There are about 9 pools in total. 8 of them are carved on the side of a cliff overlooking the Umpqua River. Another hidden pool is placed right next to the river and requires a short hike down. This is the best one. Not too hot and not too cold. When you can’t bear the heat any longer, take a plunge into the cold river to get that blood pumping again. And if you look carefully you will find a few bats sleeping in the rock right above you.
The next day we got up before sunrise to enjoy the hot springs all to ourselves. It was us, the steaming springs and a beautiful sunrise. There is really no better way to start the day. It is quite liberating getting naked and dipping into the hot pools, or soaking up the sun on the rocks, or even diving into the freezing river.
The hot springs were no disappointment and a planned one night stay turned into three. I wish I could find words that capture the feel of hiking up to the hot springs during dusk, soaking in the hot spring and watch one star after the other wake up in the dark night sky. The stars are clear and if you are lucky you will see a couple falling stars.
We could now see why some call this place home, but the day came to say goodbye. The light fell so magical between the trees as we left the Umpqua Hot Springs during late afternoon. Definitely not an easy spot to leave, we received so much inspiration and beauty from nature and the people we met. There is so much positive energy and peace found around the hot springs and in the community that travels through.
P.S. Make sure to visit the spring and fill up every water bottle, container or anything you may have. Some of the freshest water I have ever tasted. It is located just across the river from hot springs on the river. You can access it from the road, just look for trails that lead off to the left. If you can’t find it just ask someone there and I am sure they will gladly point you in the right direction.
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