Wall Creek Hot Springs (Meditation Pool): Closed Through 2026
Oregon's Meditation Pool on Warm Springs Trail #3582 survived the 2022 Cedar Creek Fire — but the trailhead is legally closed through December 31, 2026, and the soak now runs cooler and murkier.
No — the Wall Creek / Meditation Pool trailhead is closed through December 31, 2026 under U.S. Forest Service order 06-18-10-26-04, with Salmon Creek Road gated and video-camera enforcement. The pool itself survived the September 2022 Cedar Creek Fire but now runs about 80–85°F (down from 90–98°F) and murkier in a burn-scar setting.
Current Status at a Glance
Wall Creek sits in the Willamette National Forest near Oakridge, Oregon. The closure is a legal closure of the trailhead and access road — not a destruction of the spring. Check the Willamette NF alerts & notices page for order 06-18-10-26-04 before planning anything.
| Managing agency | U.S. Forest Service — Willamette National Forest |
| Closure order | 06-18-10-26-04 — trailhead closed through December 31, 2026 |
| Road access | Salmon Creek Road gated at the closure boundary |
| Enforcement | Video-camera monitoring; fines under federal closure-order rules |
| Closure cause | Cedar Creek Fire (Sept 2022, ~122,000 acres) — post-fire flood hazard and hazard trees keep the area closed |
| Pool condition | Survived the fire — ~80–85°F now (was 90–98°F), murkier, burn-scar setting; second pool debris-filled |
| Names | Wall Creek Warm Springs = Meditation Pool = Warm Springs Trail #3582 |
For coordinates and historical pool notes, see our directory record for Wall Creek Hot Springs.
Why It Closed: Fire — Not a Flood
A common misconception is that a flood closed Wall Creek. The closure cause is fire: the Cedar Creek Fire burned roughly 122,000 acres around the area in September 2022. What keeps the area closed today is the post-fire environment — flash-flood hazard on burned slopes and dead, standing hazard trees along the trail and road — not any single flood event.
- September 2022: The Cedar Creek Fire (~122,000 acres) burns through the Warm Springs Trail #3582 corridor.
- 2023–2025: The trailhead stays closed while the Forest Service assesses post-fire flood risk and falling snags; Salmon Creek Road is gated.
- 2026: Order 06-18-10-26-04 extends the legal closure through December 31, 2026, with video-camera monitoring and fines for entry.
The Pool Survived — But It's Different Now
Reports gathered by Soak Oregon and visitor reviews on AllTrails describe a changed soak:
Can You Visit the Meditation Pool?
Not legally. The trailhead is closed under a federal order — this is not a suggestion or a seasonal recommendation:
- The gate means closed — Salmon Creek Road is gated, and the closure area beyond it is off-limits to entry through December 31, 2026.
- You are on camera — the Forest Service monitors the closure area with video cameras and issues fines.
- People do still go — some visitors walk roughly 2–3 miles past the gate to reach the pool. That is illegal entry into a closed area, and it is the behavior the cameras and fines exist to stop. The burn-scar terrain also carries real hazard-tree and flash-flood risk.
Wall Creek vs. Meditation Pool vs. Trail #3582 — Same Place
Wall Creek Warm Springs is the geographic name on the map. The Meditation Pool is the nickname regulars gave the main soaking pool. Warm Springs Trail #3582 is the Forest Service trail number that reaches it. All three refer to the same site on Wall Creek near Oakridge — if you read a trip report under any of these names, this closure applies to it.
Open Hot Springs to Soak Instead
Wall Creek is off-limits through at least the end of 2026. These Oregon springs are open and verified in our directory:
Browse every verified soaking spot in the state on our Oregon hot springs directory.
Where to Stay Near Wall Creek
Oakridge is the basecamp — the mountain-biking town sits on Highway 58 minutes from Salmon Creek Road and is also the closest lodging hub for Terwilliger and the other Willamette National Forest soaks listed above.
Search Oakridge, OR LodgingGet Status Alerts for Wall Creek
Order rescinded early, extended again, or the gate finally opened — we'll email you when the Meditation Pool's status changes.
Wall Creek / Meditation Pool FAQ
Is the Meditation Pool open?
No. The Wall Creek Warm Springs trailhead is legally closed through December 31, 2026 under U.S. Forest Service order 06-18-10-26-04. Salmon Creek Road is gated, and the closure area is monitored by video camera — entering it is a violation that carries fines.
Did the Meditation Pool burn in the Cedar Creek Fire?
The surrounding forest burned when the ~122,000-acre Cedar Creek Fire swept the area in September 2022, but the pool itself survived. It now runs about 80–85°F — down from 90–98°F — and murkier, in a burn-scar setting; a second pool is filled with debris.
Are Wall Creek, the Meditation Pool, and Warm Springs Trail 3582 the same place?
Yes — three names for one site. Wall Creek Warm Springs is the geographic name, the Meditation Pool is the nickname for the main soaking pool, and Warm Springs Trail #3582 is the Forest Service trail that reaches it.
How cold is the Meditation Pool now?
Roughly 80–85°F since the 2022 fire — tepid rather than hot. Before the fire it measured around 90–98°F. The fire also changed the water clarity and the setting, which is now a burn scar.
What are the fines for entering the Wall Creek closure?
Entering the closure area is a violation of Forest Service order 06-18-10-26-04, which carries fines under federal closure-order enforcement. The area is monitored by video camera, and the Forest Service has been issuing fines to people who walk past the Salmon Creek Road gate.
Can you walk past the gate to Wall Creek Hot Springs?
Some people do — it is roughly a 2–3 mile walk past the Salmon Creek Road gate — but that is illegal entry into a closed area. The trailhead closure is legally enforced with camera monitoring and fines, so the honest answer is: not legally, no.
Last verified: September 20, 2026
Sources
- U.S. Forest Service — Willamette National Forest (Warm Springs Trail #3582 trail page)
- U.S. Forest Service — Willamette NF Alerts & Notices (closure order 06-18-10-26-04)
- Soak Oregon — Wall Creek Hot Springs (post-fire pool conditions)
- AllTrails — Wall Creek Warm Springs reviews (visitor-reported conditions)
Closure orders can be rescinded early or extended. The December 31, 2026 date is a deadline, not a promise — verify on the Willamette NF alerts page before going.