Three West Coast hot springs are better in the cold, and each one has a different winter catch
Hot springs are a winter sport that somehow gets marketed in summer. Cold air, rising steam, and water that makes you forget the forecast: that’s the entire point.
Oregon, Washington, and California each have a famous clothing-optional soak with zero resort polish, and each one handles winter in a completely different way. Here’s how to pick the one that fits your trip.
Psst, we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks: grab it here.
Oregon: Umpqua Hot Springs, where winter adds a walk
Umpqua Hot Springs sits in the Umpqua National Forest, and getting from the parking area to the pools is a short, steep climb of well under a mile. It’s clothing optional, so expect to share the view with whoever else showed up.
📍 GET THE ULTIMATE PNW MAP 🗺️
Get our curated list of the best adventures, things to do, and places to grab a brew loaded onto your maps with just two clicks!
✅ Waterfalls ✅ Hikes ✅ Viewpoints
✅ Craft breweries ✅ National Parks ✅ 1400+ Pins
Parking runs $5 per vehicle through the Recreation.gov app, or you can show a Northwest Forest Pass. The catch comes when the snow does: in recent winters the Forest Service has gated the access road, which turns the trip into a 2.5-mile hike, snowshoe, or ski before you even reach the climb.
Check the Umpqua National Forest alerts before you point the car east. Closures can land fast when a storm is on the way.
Washington: Goldmyer Hot Springs, where the hard part is the permit
Goldmyer is the one I’d plan a whole weekend around. The preserve is 4.5 miles from the trailhead, and it’s open every day of the year in any weather, which makes it a real winter option.
Here’s the trade: access is capped at 20 visitors a day, and you need a permit bought by phone at least two business days ahead. Spots aren’t refilled as people leave, so this is not a Saturday-morning impulse.
Snow can mean tire chains on the access road, so pack for the drive as seriously as the hike. The payoff is a soak that doesn’t feel like a parking-lot crowd.
California: Travertine Hot Springs, the easy one with a weather asterisk
Travertine is the opposite of Goldmyer. It’s free, the pools are a very short walk from the parking lot, and it’s clothing optional like the other two. We pulled off Highway 395 for it on a whim, and that’s exactly the kind of stop it’s built for. Our full Travertine guide has the rest.
The winter asterisk is the road. It isn’t maintained in winter and can be impassable when wet or snowy, and the Bureau of Land Management has closed the springs temporarily before, so call the Bishop Field Office before you drive out.
Which one should you pick?
Want the easiest soak? Travertine, as long as the road cooperates. Want the one you can count on in any weather? Goldmyer, if you book ahead. Want a little snow-hiking adventure on the side? Umpqua.
Which of the three is going on your winter list? Tell us in the comments and we’ll see you in the steam.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change, so always confirm current requirements before you go.
