Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Travelers driving through the arid desert of southeast Oregon are accustomed to seeing little more than an endless sea of sagebrush.



In that lonely high desert landscape, Crane Hot Springs is a veritable oasis.



In ancient times, much of this region was covered by lakes – watering holes for mammoths, dire wolves and other prehistoric animals. Most have long since dried up, leaving cracked lakebeds that see water only seasonally.



Any water in this part of Oregon is appealing, let alone steaming natural hot springs.



Pull off Oregon 78 east of Burns to find Crane Hot Springs, where you can spend the day or night soaking in the large main pool, or in one of many private tubs around the property. On crisp, cool days in fall and spring, the hot springs are particularly popular among tourists and locals alike.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

People soak in the primary pool as the sun rises at Crane Hot Springs.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Eagle Nest is a tepee with two queen beds and a private soaking tub.

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A resort has been built up around the natural hot springs since the 1920s, according to current ownership, the first one called I and C Hot Springs. In proper Old West fashion, I and C featured a saloon directly above a concrete soaking pool. After a night of dancing, the floor would be removed, and everyone would take a dip.



"It sounds a little dangerous, but it sounds amazing," said Debbie Kryger, general manager of Crane Hot Springs.



These days the resort is firmly focused on relaxation. Kryger's family purchased the property in 1997, she said, and since first replacing the pipes underground, they've been working diligently to slowly improve and expand the resort.



Two years ago, they added hotel suites for overnight guests. Last year, they added two tipis with private soaking tubs attached. Next year, they plan to build a bigger shower house with more restrooms beside the main soaking pool.



"We're probably always going to be under construction," Kryger said. "We always want to expand and we always want to improve."



In 2019, the family also began the process of changing the resort's name from Crystal Crane Hot Springs to just Crane Hot Springs – an effort to eliminate confusion with Crystal Hot Springs in northern Utah.

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Ducks float in a pond beside the main soaking pool, before the high desert landscape.

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Campsites for tents and RVs are set up near the main soaking pool.

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That's not to say any mix-ups have hurt business. Kryger said their slow seasons in summer and winter have only become busier in recent years.



The addition of more year-round heated lodging – including new heaters in the outdoor tipis – has certainly helped cold-weather travelers. Summer visitors, meanwhile, haven't seemed to mind soaking under the hot, sunny skies, she said.



Crane Hot Springs' greatest strength might lie in its diverse appeal. You can set up a tent or park your RV, but there are also rooms with private bathrooms, as well as more original setups like the tipis. It's a lot more than rustic natural hot springs (often adjacent to a primitive campground) can offer.



"We're family friendly, we're pet friendly, you can bring the whole gang out," Kryger said.



But when you get down to it, it's all about the water. Just as prehistoric animals gathered around those big, ancient lakes, people today flock to bubbling hot springs in the desert. Crane Hot Springs is just one of many places to soak in eastern Oregon, but it's one of the few that comes with an amenity nature doesn't provide: a warm bed to crawl into at night.



To make a reservation at Crane Hot Springs, visit TripAdvisor, cranehotsprings.com or call 541-493-2312.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

SOAKING

The large pool at the heart of Crane Hot Springs is the main place to soak at the resort. Water pumped from underground comes out between 135 and 165 degrees, but the pool is usually kept between 99 and 102 degrees – perfect for most soakers. It's open day and night to overnight guests, but visitors can also purchase a day pass that costs $10 for four hours of soaking.



Private soaking tubs can be found in small, enclosed units that accommodate "one or many" according to the resort. Some lodging options – including the tipis and Crane Creek Inn suites – also come with private tubs that use the same hot spring water.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

LODGING

Crane Hot Springs offers 21 lodging units, with options for varying levels of overnight comfort. The Crane Creek Inn is comprised of five suites with private bathrooms ($128 to $138 per night), which are the closest you'll get to a hotel. There are also five cabins with no restrooms that are nonetheless conveniently located on the shores of the soaking pond ($67), as well as a three-bedroom apartment, ranch house several other rustic options.



The three tipis on the property are the most original accommodations. Each of the two smaller tipis contains a bed and a heater ($125 to $135), and is attached to an enclosed, open-air camp site complete with a private soaking tub. The larger tipi, the Eagle Nest, fits two queen beds and a large private tub ($120).

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

CAMPING

Because this is Oregon, there are of course camping options at the hot springs as well. In recent years, owners have expanded the campground to accommodate 10 RV sites ($40 per night) and 30 tent sites ($30). Campers used the shared restrooms by the main soaking pool and have access to the camp kitchen to make food.



To make a reservation at Crane Hot Springs, visit TripAdvisor, cranehotsprings.com or call 541-493-2312. The resort is open year-round and is located at 59318 Oregon Route 78, about 25 miles east of Burns.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB