Here is the latest entry in my Appreciation of Oregon series. As I dig into my personal archives to share some of my favorite pictures from some of my favorite places, I'll also share a story or two. I hope you enjoy this work. But most importantly, I hope it inspires you to explore this land and the many marvelous surprises it has to offer. I've learned that creating or pursuing one picture can make my life better. Looking forward to talking about these experiences and yours.

The night I remember was cold and still. Oregon's Big Empty was sleeping. Through my windshield, there had been a few small rabbits around Prineville, some owls near Brothers, a calf and its mother in the road near Malheur Lake or maybe it was Frenchglen.

I was near the end of a seven-hour drive from Portland and couldn't recall the last illuminated light bulb I had seen. The stars though, were electric. It was past midnight and I had a feeling that I was the only person on the planet. I liked this feeling, at least for a night.

I was bouncing along East Steens Road, gravel kicking up from my tires. Giant Steens Mountain filled one window, the Alvord Desert was about to fill the other. I was closing in on the Alvord Hot Spring and feeling very much alive.

There have been many adventures to the Alvord and other Oregon hot springs in the years since that trip to Oregon's dry side. Each, it seems, spawns adventure; hiking into the Umpqua in a fabulous snowstorm, diving into Crystal Crane with the Burns wrestling team and getting towed out of a creek on the way to Three Forks, come immediately to mind.

So if you are looking for an excuse to road trip or need a little adventure in your life, Oregon hot springs are waiting to sooth your body and soul and probably deliver some surprise.

I love the springs because they are born from our geology, the offspring of hot rock and magma. They are gifts that connect us to lush forests, high desert and deep canyons. Sure, they come with a wild west flavor, but isn't that reason to go?

Here's more information about each of the hot springs represented in the photo gallery.

Terwilliger/Cougar

Terwilliger hot spring -- also known as Cougar -- may be Oregon's most famous undeveloped hot spring. The water pours out from a cave in the Willamette National Forest about an hour east of Eugene. The short hike into the pools is lined with old-growth forest. Stone steps lead up the hill from the coolest water to the hottest.

Crystal Crane

On highway 78 about a half hour from Burns, Crystal Crane offers a large outdoor pool and private indoor soaking rooms and tubs. The developed property also offers small cabins and even a seasonal teepee with a tub rental.

Making snow angels by the outdoor pool at Crystal Crane hot springs. On highway 78 about a half hour from Burns, Crystal Crane offers the outdoor pool and private indoor soaking rooms and tubs. The developed property also offers small cabins and even a seasonal teepee with a tub rental. Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

Alvord

The tin shack at the edge of the Alvord Desert protects two concrete pools that are supplied with extremely hot water. The hot spring is on private land and now charges a small fee for use. Some say the admission fee has ruined the feel of the place but the bathhouse is mostly unchanged since the 1930's. It gets battered and bent by the wind and weather but the wooden deck and even the washing tub seats remain part of the charm, and of course looking up at Steens Mountain is not so bad either.

Borax

Borax Lake Hot Spring at the base of Steens Mountain is not the place to go if you are looking for a soaking spring but it sure is fun to see. There are numerous hot springs here, near the road along the base of Steens. The area around Borax Lake supported a mining operation between 1898 and 1907. Chinese laborers extracted borax in big boilers fueled by sagebrush.

Whitehorse or Willow

Whitehorse Ranch or Willow Hot Springs is about a half hour from Fields and sometimes unused for days, maybe because the place is tricky to find. The historic Whitehorse Ranch, started in 1869 by cattle baron John S. Devine, is near. The Whitehorse has been in the cattle business continuously since it was founded. The folks at Fields Station will not only feed you in their restaurant but they are very good about directions to Whitehorse.

Hart Mountain

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge covers nearly 300,000-acres and was protected by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. There is camping at the hot spring, which consists of a pool protected by a manmade wall and other natural pools. Hart Mountain offers spectacular views, pronghorn antelope and lots of rugged and undeveloped land.



Bagby



Bagby Hot Spring is one of Oregon's most visited hot springs. In Estacada within the Mount Hood National Forest about 70 miles from Portland, Babgy features hollowed-out tubs and a forest setting.



Three Forks



Three Forks Hot Spring cascades into the Owyhee River and can be one of the most challenges hot springs to access in one of our state's loneliest places. The spring is at the end of a 30-mile dirt road that passes through several creeks and eventually turns into something like a path. If you make it this far, it's time to figure out a way to get across the river to access the spring.



Umpqua



Umpqua Hot Spring is perched on a cliff about 150 feet above the North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River. The main soaking tub and others here have been hand chiseled out of travertine deposits.



Summer Lake



Summer Lake Hot Spring is located on Oregon highway 31about 125 miles southeast of Bend. The timber and tin bathhouse was built in 1928 but the place also offers outdoor pools and tubs.



--Jamie Francis



