Lehman Hot Springs

Current status: private groups only

Lehman Hot Springs is not open to the public. The old resort in the Blue Mountains east of Ukiah is privately owned and operates as a limited-use facility for private organizations, such as groups that book the whole site. There is no day pass, no drop-in soaking and no public campground on the property.

Plenty of older guidebooks and websites still describe Lehman as a family hot springs resort with a big warm pool and cabins. That picture is out of date. If you arrive without a booking, expect a locked gate.

The property’s website, lehmanhotsprings.org, did not load when we checked in October 2026, so there is no reliable public booking channel to point to. If you are organizing a group event, ask locally in Ukiah or through Umatilla County contacts before making plans.

What the place is

The springs rise in a forested valley in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon at about 4,300 feet. The water emerges at roughly 140-150°F60-66°C, among the hotter springs in this part of the state. For most of the last century and a half it fed a set of soaking pools: a large main pool that ran in the high 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit, and smaller pools around 100-106°F38-41°C.

A resort called Lehman Hot Springs was established here in 1871, and the small settlement that grew around it had its own post office, Lehman Springs, from 1899 to 1928. It was named after the pioneer James Lehman. Early in the 20th century, the Pendleton photographer Walter S. Bowman took pictures of bathers here, including a masquerade party.

The springs were known long before that. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s language dictionary records the Umatilla name for the place as Múlišinma. Native people and later pioneer settlers both used the springs.

How it closed

The modern story is a messy one. In the 2000s the resort became, in the words of the local paper, both a favorite recreation spot and an environmental hazard. The state of Oregon brought a civil suit against the then owner.

In October 2010 the 440-acre property was sold at a public foreclosure auction on the steps of the Umatilla County Courthouse in Pendleton. A Portland broker, Walter Ratzlaf, was the only bidder, at $673,000, against an assessed value of a little over $580,000.

In July 2012 the property was bought by TSL Foundation LLC. Accounts also describe it as being repurchased by the family that owned the resort for most of the 1900s. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality lifted earlier restrictions tied to the previous owner, and in 2013 the Umatilla County Health Department licensed the site as a limited-use pool and facility. That license is the reason it now serves private groups rather than the general public.

We could not find any credible report of plans to reopen to the public. If that changes, this page will be updated.

Getting there

For anyone with a group booking, or just driving through the Blue Mountains:

• From Ukiah: Head east on Oregon 244, the Ukiah-Hilgard Highway, toward La Grande. The springs are about 16 miles east of Ukiah.
• From La Grande: Take I-84 to the Hilgard exit and follow Oregon 244 west. The springs are about 48 miles from La Grande.
• From Pendleton: Take US 395 south to Ukiah, then Oregon 244 east. It is about 68 miles in total.

Oregon 244 is a paved two-lane highway through national forest. Snow is common in winter at this elevation, so carry traction devices and check road conditions before you go. Remember that the resort itself is private land. Do not enter without permission.

When to go

There is no public season. For general trips into this part of the Blue Mountains, summer and early fall are the easiest months, with open forest roads and warm days. Winter brings snow to the 4,000-foot passes on Oregon 244.

Rules for visitors

• Respect the private property. The pools are not open to drop-in visitors, and trespassing on the grounds is not allowed.
• No soaking without a group booking. There is no fee you can pay at the gate.
• The surrounding national forest is public. You can hike and camp on Umatilla National Forest land nearby, but the springs themselves are not part of it.

Where to stay nearby

• Frazier Campground and Trailhead is a Forest Service site about a mile northeast of the old resort, on the Umatilla National Forest. It is a base for the Butcher Knife Trail and nearby forest roads. Check with the Umatilla National Forest for its current season and fees.
• Ukiah, about 16 miles west, is a small town with limited services. Fill your tank before heading into the mountains.
• La Grande and Pendleton have the nearest full range of motels, restaurants and supplies.

Safety notes

• Do not trespass. The pools are on private land and have no public lifeguard or staff on duty for visitors.
• Scalding water: The source water is 140-150°F60-66°C. Any outflow channels or pipes around the property can burn skin.
• Mountain roads: Oregon 244 and nearby forest roads can be icy from late fall to spring, with deer and elk on the road at dusk.
• Limited signal: Cell coverage is patchy in the Blue Mountains. Download offline maps before leaving Ukiah or La Grande.

Where to soak instead

There is no public hot spring near Ukiah. Eastern Oregon’s public soaks are spread far apart. To the south, Juntura Hot Springs on the Malheur River is a free, primitive pool reached by a river ford, and Alvord Hot Springs on the edge of the Alvord Desert is a paid, private soak with camping. Both are long drives from the Blue Mountains, so plan them as separate trips.

See Juntura Hot Springs and Alvord Hot Springs.