East Lake Hot Springs

What to expect

East Lake is the smaller and higher of the two lakes inside Newberry Caldera, the collapsed summit of a large shield volcano south of Bend. It sits at about 6,381 feet, covers roughly 1,044 acres, and is fed only by snowmelt, rain and hot springs. Some of that hot water comes up right along the shore, and that is what people mean by East Lake Hot Springs.

Set your expectations before you go. There is no rock-lined pool, no tub and no hot creek. The springs are seeps in the lake bottom. The Forest Service describes them plainly: look for outcrops of tan rock along the shore, watch for bubbles of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide rising through the water, and follow your nose to the rotten egg smell. Then push your fingers or toes into the sand where the bubbles are. In the right spot the sediment is warm, sometimes hot, a few inches down.

So this is more of a geology lesson with wet feet than a long soak. Some visitors scoop out a shallow hollow to sit in where the warm water mixes with the cold lake, but the lake itself is chilly at this elevation, even in August. If you want a proper hot pool in the caldera, look at Paulina Lake Hot Springs on the neighbouring lake instead. East Lake is for people who like finding things.

There is history here too. According to the Forest Service, the East Lake Health Resort stood very close to the springs from 1913 to 1941. Nothing of it is set up for visitors today.

Getting there

East Lake is inside Newberry National Volcanic Monument, part of the Deschutes National Forest.

• From Bend: Drive about 23.5 miles south on US 97, then turn east onto Paulina Lake Road (County Road 21). Follow it about 17.3 miles up into the caldera, past Paulina Lake, to the Hot Springs Boating Site near the southeast corner of East Lake. The road is paved.
• From La Pine: The Paulina Lake Road turnoff is a few miles north of town on US 97, so La Pine is the closest place for fuel and groceries.

The Hot Springs Boating Site has a ramp, a small parking area, a fish cleaning station and a vault toilet. There is no drinking water.

The Forest Service says the best access to the springs is by boat. Launch at the Hot Springs Boating Site, paddle or motor west along the shoreline, and look for the tan rock and the bubbles. A kayak, canoe or paddleboard is ideal because you want to move slowly and look down. Motorboats on East Lake have a 10 mph speed limit. If you are camped at East Lake Campground, its own boat ramp on the southwest side of the lake is another starting point, and the springs lie along the shore between the two ramps.

When to go

Lake level decides everything. The Forest Service is blunt about it: the springs are not available in higher water and stay completely submerged until the level drops. After a big snow year you may find nothing at all. After a dry winter, late summer and early fall usually give the best chance of exposed shoreline and reachable seeps.

The season is short at this elevation. The Forest Service lists June as the season of use for the Hot Springs Boating Site. East Lake Campground ran from May 22 to October 18 in 2026, and its water system is shut off no later than September 30. In winter, snow covers the caldera and access is from 10 Mile Sno-Park on the same road, where an Oregon Sno-Park permit is required from November 1 to April 30. Do not plan a winter trip here around the hot springs.

Summer weekends bring anglers and campers to both lakes. Weekdays in September are quieter, the light is lower, and the water is often at its lowest.

Rules and etiquette

• Pass required. The Hot Springs Boating Site is a recreation fee site. Display a $5 per vehicle day pass, a $30 annual Northwest Forest Pass, or an Interagency pass. You can buy passes at Forest Service offices or from local vendors.
• Day use only at the boating site. Overnight camping is not allowed at either East Lake boating site. Use the campgrounds.
• Disturb as little as you can. Fill in any hollow you dig before you leave so the next visitor and the shoreline plants are not left with a hole.
• No soap or shampoo. Even in a big lake, keep personal products out of the water near the seeps.
• Pack out trash. The toilet at the ramp is the only facility.
• Respect anglers. East Lake is a well-known trout and kokanee fishery. Give boats and shore anglers room.

Clothing is not an issue here. This is a busy family lake with campgrounds on the shore, so wear a swimsuit.

Where to stay nearby

• East Lake Campground sits on the south shore, with most sites on the lake or a couple of minutes from it. The 2026 Forest Service page lists $27 a night for a single site on Recreation.gov, with flush toilets and potable water in season. Reservations switch to first come, first served in late September.
• Cinder Hill Campground is on the northeast shore of East Lake, with its own boat launch and a trailhead to the Cinder Hill viewpoint.
• East Lake Resort has cabins, boat rentals and a general store on the lake. Contact the resort directly for dates and rates.
• Paulina Lake has more campgrounds a few minutes west, and La Pine and Sunriver have motels and vacation rentals within about an hour.

Safety notes

• Gas at the seeps. The bubbles are carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. In open air on a breezy shoreline this is rarely a problem, but do not put your face down into a dug hole or lie in a hollow on a still day.
• Hot spots. Some sediment can be much hotter than the water around it. Test with a hand before you sit or kneel.
• Cold water. East Lake is high and cold. If you are paddling, wear a life jacket and keep an eye on afternoon wind, which can build quickly on caldera lakes.
• Fish advisory. The Oregon Health Authority has a mercury advisory for all resident fish in East Lake, with tighter limits for brown trout 16 inches or longer and for children and pregnant or nursing people. Check the meal limits if you plan to keep your catch.
• Algae. The Deschutes National Forest asks lake users to watch for blue-green algae blooms in warm weather. Stay out of water that looks like pea soup or has scum on top.
• Altitude and sun. At over 6,000 feet the sun is strong and nights are cold, even in summer.

Nearby stops worth adding

The caldera has plenty to fill a day. The Big Obsidian Flow trail is about a mile long and climbs onto a 1,300-year-old flow of obsidian and pumice, the youngest lava flow in Oregon. Paulina Peak has an observation site and a trailhead, and the view takes in both lakes. Paulina Falls is a short walk from its day use area near the caldera entrance. For a real hot soak on the same trip, Paulina Lake Hot Springs is the obvious pairing, on the shore of the bigger lake next door.