Alvord Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Alvord Hot Springs is a resort hot spring listed near Fields, Oregon. Reported soak temperature: 105°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Privately owned and operating — two concrete pools open to day-use visitors roughly 8am–10pm (call 541-589-2282 first for availability); fee ~$15–30/person, overnight guests soak 24 hours.
Checked September 2026 · verified on the operator’s site · 6 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via Alvord Hot Springs official site.
- Cost: Reported $20 — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: Developed resort — confirm operating hours and any reservation requirement.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 105°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; reported dog-friendly.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: none — pay at store/reception
- Booking: Reservation required.
- Best time to go: sunrise over the playa from the east tub; fall weekdays for solitude
- Clothing reality: Official: suits expected during family/day hours (no published nudity policy). Customary: clothing-optional after dark per multiple guides. Legal: private property — operator's rules govern.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: flat walk of a few hundred feet to pools; gravel terrain
- Day-use soakers must CALL AHEAD (541-589-2282) for availability — operator website
- Fee not published; reports range $15–$30/person — confirm when calling; cash advisable
- Children 12 and under free
- Overnight guests get 24-hour pool access; day use during business hours only (~8am–10pm)
- Seasonal 2–3 night minimums for lodging; cancellation fee applies
- Private lakebed access road available to guests — gate code at check-in
- No RV hookups
- Hazard: Remote location — no cell service, long distances to services (Fields/Princeton)
- Hazard: Source water emerges ~170°F — pools tempered but verify temps
- Hazard: Lakebed access can be impassable when wet
- Hazard: Winter mud and summer heat extremes
About this spring
Twin 1940s concrete pools at the east base of Steens Mountain overlooking the Alvord Desert playa — famous for sunrise soaks and dark skies. Privately owned with a small store, showers, bunkhouses and dry camping. Fee: ~$20-30/person day soak; included with camping/bunkhouse; call 541-589-2282 for day-use availability. Extremely remote — no cell, nearest gas in Burns or Fields. Do NOT drive on the playa when wet. Source water scalding.
Alvord Hot Springs is a commercial soaking site on a private ranch in Harney County, Oregon, at the base of Steens Mountain on the edge of the Alvord Desert — one of the driest places in the state. The springs feed two outdoor soaking pools: a hot pool kept around 108-112°F and a warm pool around 100°F, both with open views across the desert to the mountain front. The site is rustic — gravel-bottomed concrete pools, a few picnic tables, and primitive camping nearby — and it operates under a day-use fee with a seasonal schedule (typically March through November). The Alvord Desert itself is a stark landscape of salt flats, alkali lakes, and geothermal springs, popular with photographers, birdwatchers, and people seeking desert solitude. The springs are roughly 80 miles southeast of Burns on gravel roads; cell service is nonexistent.
Directions & trailhead access
From Burns: east on Hwy 78 ~65 mi to Fields-Denio Rd, then ~41 mi south on gravel to the signed site (36095 E Steens Rd).
Oregon geothermal context
Oregon splits cleanly in two: Cascade volcanic springs like the Umpqua corridor pools west of the crest, and high-desert basin springs like the Alvord area east of it. Western sites sit in dense wet forest prone to fire closures and winter road washouts; eastern ones are remote sagebrush tubs under enormous skies. Both ends reward checking land-manager alerts before driving out.
What a resort site means here
A resort spring is a commercial operation: developed pools or tubs with controlled temperatures, changing facilities, and usually day-use fees or lodging packages. Expect posted rules (swimsuits, quiet hours, age limits), staff on site, and in many cases required reservations — especially on weekends and holidays.
Best time to visit
May – October (Spring through Fall)Pacific Northwest springs are framed by lush temperate rainforests. Summer brings dry, sunny trail conditions, while autumn provides vibrant foliage and crisp soaking weather.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | 105°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 105°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported $20 — verify |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported dog-friendly |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | Alvord Hot Springs official site |
Alvord Hot Springs FAQ
Is Alvord Hot Springs open right now?
Privately owned and operating — two concrete pools open to day-use visitors roughly 8am–10pm (call 541-589-2282 first for availability); fee ~$15–30/person, overnight guests soak 24 hours. (Status verified on the operator’s site, last checked September 2026.)
Is Alvord Hot Springs free?
Alvord Hot Springs is listed with reported fees near Fields. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Alvord Hot Springs?
Alvord Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 105°F and a historical source temperature of 105°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Alvord Hot Springs clothing optional?
Alvord Hot Springs is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Alvord Hot Springs?
Alvord Hot Springs requires permission, a permit or advance booking — confirm the terms with the site manager before visiting.
Overnight options and spring admission
Book rooms, cabins or soaking times directly with the operator.
Check overnight options with the operatorSources & references
- Alvord Hot Springs official site — operator · 2026-09
- Yelp listing — hours 8am–10pm — community · 2025-07
- Travel Oregon — Alvord listing/reviews — community · 2025
- Hot Springs Atlas — Alvord $15 day soak — community · 2026
- SoakDestinations — Alvord ~$20 day use — community · 2026
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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