Belknap Hot Springs

What to expect

Belknap Hot Springs is a lodge, cabin and campground property on the upper McKenzie River, a few miles east of McKenzie Bridge in the Cascade foothills. It is not a wild spring. You will find two large, clear outdoor pools with decks and lawn around them, set among tall firs with the river running past. Think of a big soaking pool at an old mountain lodge rather than a rock tub in the woods.

The hot water comes from a spring on the far bank of the river, across from the lodge. Wikipedia puts the source at about 147-198°F64-92°C, far too hot to sit in, so it is piped over and cooled before it reaches the pools. The resort publishes a mineral analysis that is heavy in sodium and chloride, with smaller amounts of silica, calcium, sulfate and bromide. Expect a faint mineral feel rather than a strong sulfur smell.

The pool temperature changes with the seasons. Soak Oregon reports the pools are kept around 92°F33°C in summer and raised to about 102°F39°C in the cooler months, so a July soak feels more like a warm swim and a November soak feels like a proper hot spring. The resort itself calls them soaking pools and asks people not to swim laps.

The pools

There are two pools:

• Lower pool: open to walk-ins and overnight guests. It is the bigger one and holds up to 50 people.
• Upper pool: reserved for overnight guests. Some RV sites sit close to it.

Admission for walk-ins includes access to showers and restrooms. Bring your own towel or rent one for $2. The resort sells snacks, drinks and grab-and-go items at a small store in the lodge, and a food cart runs in late spring and summer. There is no restaurant on site.

Prices and booking

Walk-in soaks: $12 per person for one hour or less (2026). The resort no longer sells day passes, and you cannot extend past an hour. Sign-in runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the pool area must be clear of walk-ins by 6 p.m. There are no walk-in soaks on federal holidays, so pick another day if you are planning around a long weekend.

Overnight stays: Guests can use the pools from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The resort lists these rates on its FAQ page, all before the 12.07% lodging tax:

• Lodge rooms: 18 rooms beside the river, $140-215 a night. Lodge guests get a continental breakfast. Some rooms have jetted tubs or electric fireplaces. There is no elevator to the upper floors.
• Cabins: eight cabins from $150 to $550 a night, from a one-bed cabin by the river to a four-bedroom house that sleeps 14 across the river. Cabins have full kitchens. Cabin 4 is listed as wheelchair accessible.
• Mountain homes: $225-325 a night.
• RV sites: 44 sites, $45 for water and electric (30 amp) or $50 for full hookups. Two guests are included, with $15 per extra person per day and a limit of six.
• Tent sites: in the $40-50 range, closed October through April.

Book online, by phone on 541-822-3961, or in person. The resort only lets you book for yourself, not for friends or a group. Payment is taken at check-in. Cancel or shorten a stay within 14 days of arrival and you pay one night. Check-in is 1 p.m. for tents and RVs and 4 p.m. for rooms and cabins, and checkout is 11 a.m. If you arrive after 8 p.m., call ahead, because the front desk closes at 9 p.m.

Car camping is not allowed. Tent guests must pitch a tent, and RVs must connect to water and power. RV guests without a sewer hookup can use the dump station at the operator’s nearby Camp Yale property with a receipt.

Rules and etiquette

The pools are run as family soaking pools, and the rules are strict:

• Swimsuits are required.
• No children under 5 in the pool area. Kids under 14 need an adult with them.
• No diving, jumping, running or rough play. Pool noodles are the only floats allowed.
• No food, glass, alcohol, drugs, smoking or vaping around the pools.
• No pets in or near the pool area, even at pet-friendly cabins.
• No unlicensed ATVs, golf carts, e-bikes or e-scooters on the property.

Wi-Fi works only in the lodge lobby, and the rooms have TVs for DVDs rather than cable. Plan on being mostly offline.

Getting there

Belknap sits just off Oregon Route 126 (the McKenzie Highway), about 5 miles east of McKenzie Bridge.

• From Eugene and I-5: Take exit 194A onto I-105 and OR-126 east through Springfield. Follow OR-126 about 55 miles up the McKenzie Valley through Walterville, Leaburg, Vida, Blue River and McKenzie Bridge. Just past milepost 19, turn onto Belknap Springs Road and follow the signs about a quarter mile to the lodge.
• From Bend or Sisters: Take US-20 west over Santiam Pass, then OR-126 south toward McKenzie Bridge. Turn onto Belknap Springs Road about half a mile past milepost 18, before you reach the OR-242 junction.
• Via McKenzie Pass: OR-242 from Sisters is about 40 miles of narrow, winding road. It is not suitable for motorhomes or trailers and is closed to cars for much of the year, so most visitors use Santiam Pass.

Parking is beside the lodge. Some cabins sit across the river, a walk of an eighth to a quarter of a mile over the footbridge, and the resort provides wheelbarrow carts for luggage.

When to go

The resort is open every day of the year, so timing is about comfort and crowds. Summer brings rafters, mountain bikers and hikers to the McKenzie corridor, and the lower pool gets busy on warm afternoons. Weekday mornings right at 9 a.m. are usually the calmest window for walk-ins.

Fall and winter are good soaking seasons here. The pools run warmer, the river is loud, and steam hangs over the water on cold mornings. Snow can arrive any time from late October through April. OR-126 and I-5 are usually kept clear, but check the TripCheck cameras for McKenzie Bridge and any pass on your route.

Where to stay nearby

The resort itself is the obvious base, with rooms, cabins, RV sites and seasonal tent sites. If it is full, McKenzie Bridge, about 5 miles west, is the nearest community. The Willamette National Forest runs several riverside campgrounds along OR-126 between McKenzie Bridge and the upper river, though Paradise, McKenzie Bridge and Olallie were listed as closed for the 2026 season, so check before you count on one. For meals, the resort points guests to McKenzie Station Pub, Obsidian Grill and Takoda’s Restaurant, all 5 to 10 miles away. Eugene and Springfield, about 55 miles downriver, have the full range of hotels.

Safety notes

• Heat: Even at 100-102°F38-39°C, long soaks can make you lightheaded. Take breaks and drink water.
• Wet decks: Walk, do not run. The no-running rule is there for a reason.
• River: The McKenzie is cold and fast beside the property. Keep kids close to the banks.
• Winter driving: Carry chains in winter and check road conditions before you leave the valley.

History

R. S. (Rollin) Belknap developed the springs in 1869. A post office called Salt Springs opened here in 1874 and became Belknap Springs the following year, running on and off until 1953. The resort has changed owners several times since then, and Soak Oregon describes it as the last of Lane County’s old mineral spring resorts still operating.

Nearby stops worth adding

The McKenzie River Trail, about 26 miles long, can be reached directly from the property, and the Secret Garden on the north bank is a short walk across the river. Upriver on OR-126 you will find Sahalie and Koosah Falls and the Tamolitch Blue Pool trail. The McKenzie also has guided rafting, and the resort books trips through a partner outfitter.