Austin Hot Springs, Oregon: Permanently Closed — What Happened
Austin Hot Springs on the Clackamas River is gone for good — the springs sit on private conservation land owned by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the site has been physically decommissioned.
No — Austin Hot Springs is permanently closed, with no public access. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs bought the 151.7-acre property in 2017 as conservation land. It is posted "CLOSED TO ALL PUBLIC USE," enforced by the Clackamas County Sheriff with trespass citations and trail cameras — and around 2024–25 the springs were physically decommissioned: vents capped, river re-channeled, site re-wilded.
Current Status at a Glance
Unlike a fire closure or seasonal shutdown, this one has no reopening mechanism — the land changed hands and the springs were physically removed from service. The tribe's position, per its official Austin Hot Springs land page, is that future public access is "improbable."
| Landowner | Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs — 151.7 acres purchased in 2017 (conservation acquisition) |
| Access status | "CLOSED TO ALL PUBLIC USE" — private tribal conservation land |
| Enforcement | Clackamas County Sheriff Exclusion Program — trespass citations, trail cameras, trespasser database |
| Physical state | Decommissioned ~2024–25 — logs driven into vents to cap them, river re-channeled, site re-wilded |
| Reopening outlook | Official word: future access is "improbable" |
| 2026 status | Property lies inside the Austin Fire perimeter; post-fire assessment pending |
For historical notes on the pools themselves, see our directory record for Austin Hot Springs.
Why Austin Hot Springs Closed for Good
Austin was always a dangerous soak. The vents run 190–200°F+ — hot enough to scald in seconds — and the site's closure is the end of a long liability and conservation story.
- 2008: A visitor is scalded at the springs and spends two months in the Oregon Burn Center. The injury produces a $2.8 million lawsuit against the Schmidt trust, the property's former owner — covered by OregonLive in 2010.
- 2017: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs purchase the 151.7-acre property as a conservation acquisition — the intent is habitat protection, not recreation.
- Post-purchase: The site is posted closed to all public use. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Exclusion Program begins citing trespassers; trail cameras and a trespasser database follow, per Soak Oregon and local reporting.
- ~2024–25: The springs are physically decommissioned — logs are driven into the vents to cap them, the river is re-channeled, and the site is re-wilded, as tracked in the iFish restoration thread.
- August 2026: The property burns inside the Austin Fire perimeter, per Statesman Journal coverage (Aug 26, 2026). Post-fire assessment is pending.
Can You Still Visit Austin Hot Springs?
No — and unlike a trail closure, there is nothing to wait out. This is private land with active enforcement:
- Trespass citations — the property is enrolled in the Clackamas County Sheriff Exclusion Program; entering it is citable trespass, not a gray area.
- Trail cameras and a trespasser database — visitors who ignore the postings are documented and cited.
- There is nothing left to soak in — the vents were capped with driven logs and the river re-channeled around 2024–25. The pools no longer exist as soaking sites.
- The water was genuinely lethal — at 190–200°F+, the source was among the hottest "soakable" springs ever attempted in Oregon, which is why the 2008 scalding happened.
Austin Hot Springs vs. Austin Fire vs. Austin, Texas
Three different things collide in this keyword space — here's the map:
- Austin Hot Springs (this page) — the permanently closed springs property on the Clackamas River, also called Carey Hot Springs or "the Clackamas River hot springs."
- The Austin Fire — the 2026 wildfire named for the area. It burned over this property in August 2026 and also triggered the precautionary closure of Bagby Hot Springs — a separate, still-viable soak that should reopen when its fire orders lift.
- Austin, Texas — has no natural hot springs; searchers looking for Texas soaking are in the wrong state entirely.
Open Hot Springs Near the Clackamas River
Note that Bagby Hot Springs — the usual answer for this corridor — is also closed through December 31, 2026 under Austin Fire orders. These Oregon springs are open instead:
Browse every verified soaking spot in the state on our Oregon hot springs directory.
Where to Stay Near the Clackamas River Corridor
Estacada is the gateway town for the whole Highway 224 corridor — the closest lodging base to both Austin Hot Springs (for those researching the closure) and Bagby (for when it reopens), with easy access to the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Search Estacada, OR LodgingGet Status Alerts for Austin Hot Springs
Post-fire assessment results or any change to the tribe's "improbable" access stance — we'll email you if the status of Austin Hot Springs ever changes.
Austin Hot Springs FAQ
Is Austin Hot Springs open?
No — Austin Hot Springs is permanently closed to all public use. The 151.7-acre property on the Clackamas River is private conservation land owned by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the site has been physically decommissioned: the vents were capped and the river was re-channeled around 2024–25.
Who owns Austin Hot Springs?
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The Tribe purchased the 151.7-acre property in 2017 as a conservation acquisition — not as a recreation development — and tribal officials describe future public access as improbable.
Why did Austin Hot Springs close?
Two reasons. First, danger: the source water emerges at 190–200°F+, and a 2008 scalding sent a visitor to the Oregon Burn Center for two months, producing a $2.8 million lawsuit against the former owners (the Schmidt trust). Second, conservation: the Warm Springs Tribe bought the land in 2017 and later decommissioned the springs entirely, capping the vents and re-wilding the site.
Is it illegal to visit Austin Hot Springs?
Yes. The property is posted CLOSED TO ALL PUBLIC USE and enrolled in the Clackamas County Sheriff Exclusion Program — trespassers are cited, the site is monitored by trail cameras, and a trespasser database is maintained. There is no legal public access route.
What is the difference between Austin Hot Springs and the Austin Fire?
Austin Hot Springs is a place — the closed springs property on the Clackamas River. The Austin Fire is the 2026 wildfire that burned over that property and also triggered the precautionary closure of Bagby Hot Springs. Austin, Texas, is a third, unrelated thing — it has no natural hot springs.
Is Carey Hot Springs the same as Austin Hot Springs?
Yes — Carey Hot Springs and "the Clackamas River hot springs" are alternate names for the same site. Whatever the name, it is closed to all public use.
Last verified: September 20, 2026
Sources
- Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs — Austin Hot Springs (official land page: closure, "improbable" access)
- OregonLive (2010 coverage of the $2.8M scalding lawsuit)
- Soak Oregon — Austin Hot Springs (site history & enforcement details)
- iFish.net (restoration / decommissioning thread)
- Statesman Journal (Austin Fire coverage, Aug 26, 2026)
This closure is permanent — there is no reopening date to watch for. The only pending item is the tribe's post-fire site assessment.