Bigelow Hot Springs (Deer Creek Hot Springs)

What to expect

Bigelow Hot Springs, also called Deer Creek Hot Springs, is about as small as a hot spring gets. There is one pool, ringed with river rocks, on the bank of the McKenzie River in the Willamette National Forest. It measures roughly 8 by 13 feet and is only 1 to 2 feet deep over coarse sand and gravel, so two people fit comfortably and four is a squeeze.

The water seeps out of a shallow, overhanging cave in the bank at about 104°F40°C. In summer and fall the pool usually holds at 102-104°F39-40°C, warm enough for a proper soak while the cold, clear McKenzie rushes past a few feet away. The setting is dense Cascade forest.

It is not always pretty. Visitors have reported murky water, dark sediment and a sulfur smell when nobody has cleaned the pool out for a while. There are no facilities at all: no toilet, no trash cans, no changing area. Bring what you need and carry out everything, including other people’s litter if you can.

The river controls everything here. In winter and spring, when the McKenzie runs high, the pool merges with the river and fills with cold water. It can be lukewarm or underwater from late fall until the flow drops in late spring or early summer.

Getting there

The spring is on the upper McKenzie River, off Oregon Route 126 (the McKenzie Highway), about 60 miles east of Eugene.

1. From Eugene and Springfield, follow OR-126 east up the McKenzie Valley through Blue River and McKenzie Bridge.
2. Continue past the OR-242 (McKenzie Pass) junction and the turnoff for Belknap Hot Springs.
3. About 5 miles past the OR-242 junction, turn left onto Deer Creek Road (Forest Road 2654) and cross the bridge over the McKenzie River.
4. Park beyond the bridge. The spring is on the downstream side, reached by a short walk down to the riverbank along the McKenzie River Trail.

From Bend or Sisters, come over Santiam Pass on US-20 and follow OR-126 south. Deer Creek Road is before you reach Belknap and McKenzie Bridge.

Phone maps have been known to send people to the wrong spot, and published GPS points are slightly off. Look for the bridge, then walk downstream along the bank. Expect roots, mud and a short drop to the water’s edge, and wear shoes with grip.

When to go

Late summer and early fall are the reliable months, when the river is at its lowest and the pool sits clear of the current. One visitor in 2018 found the pool too cold in early May with the river high, then comfortable a week or two later once the flow dropped. That is typical. The timing shifts every year with snowmelt.

Weekday mornings give you the best chance of having the pool to yourself. The pool is tiny, so even three or four cars at the bridge can mean a wait.

Winter and spring are usually a write-off for soaking, though the walk along the river is still worth doing.

Fire season: the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire started near Rainbow, west of McKenzie Bridge, and spread west down the valley toward Blue River, away from this upper stretch. New fires can close roads and trails in any summer, so check the Willamette National Forest alerts page before you go. In mid-October 2026, for example, the Forest Service closed the Tamolitch Blue Pool area upriver for a few days.

Rules and etiquette

• Day use only. The site is open from sunrise to sunset. Do not camp at the spring.
• No fee. You do not need a pass for the spring.
• Clothing optional. Nudity is common, but the McKenzie River Trail runs close by. Be discreet, and expect a mix of soakers.
• Share the pool. With room for only a few people, keep your soak short if others are waiting.
• No soap, shampoo or glass, and pack out all trash.
• Forest-wide camping limit: if you camp elsewhere on the Willamette National Forest, a Forest Service order (in force to March 19, 2027) limits you to 14 days in any 30-day period and 50 days a year.

Where to stay nearby

• Belknap Hot Springs, a few miles south off OR-126, has lodge rooms, cabins, RV and tent sites and two large mineral pools. It is the obvious place to stay if you want to soak more than once.
• Forest Service campgrounds line the river nearby, including Paradise (64 sites in old-growth forest), McKenzie Bridge (20 riverside sites) and Olallie (16 sites where Olallie Creek meets the river). All three were listed as closed for the 2026 season, reopening in 2027, so check Recreation.gov for their status before you rely on them.
• McKenzie Bridge has the nearest small stores, fuel and restaurants. Eugene and Springfield, about an hour and a half west, have the full range of hotels.

Safety notes

• The river: the McKenzie is fast and cold all year. Do not let children or pets near the edge, and do not try to soak when the river is high and lapping into the pool.
• Water quality: a small, shallow, warm pool can grow bacteria, especially when it has not been flushed. Keep your head above water and skip it if the water looks or smells bad.
• Footing: the bank is steep and slick in places. Go slowly, especially coming back up.
• Daylight: the site closes at sunset. Leave yourself time to climb back to the car in light.
• Car security: leave nothing visible in your car at the bridge.

Nearby stops worth adding

The McKenzie River National Recreation Trail runs right past the spring and continues upstream to Tamolitch Blue Pool, where the river wells up into a vivid blue pool, and to Sahalie and Koosah Falls near Clear Lake. Downriver, Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs off Forest Road 19 is a larger set of terraced pools with its own posted rules, including a nighttime closure and a ban on nudity visible from the road.