It's Hot Springs Time in the Pacific Northwest

Some like it hot – especially in the Pacific Northwest, where even the crazy, lazy days of summer can be damp, cool and blustery. 

It’s times like that we like to take a dip in one of the many remote hot springs for which Oregon, Washington and Idaho are renowned. Hot springs aficionados can bask in a spring-fed swimming pool at a destination resort or get back to nature in a remote pool where swimsuits are optional. 

While British Columbia and Montana have their fair share of hot springs, unless you know you’re away around, the choices mostly boil down to pay-to-play developed swimming pools with dozens of fellow swimmers.
In Oregon, Washington and Idaho especially, it’s easy to get away from it all. 

Here are my five favorite hot-springs in the Pacific Northwest that are remote enough to make swimsuits optional:
1. Umpqua Hot Springs, east of Roseburg, Oregon: This quaint hillside springs is as serene as the come. There are two pools, one covered by a pleasant wooden structure to provide shelter from frequent rains and snow. The springs are shaded by towering Douglas firs and overlook the mad-dashing North Umpqua River. Amazingly, for such a pretty sight, solitude is possible during the week. Getting there: Drive east from Roseburg on Oregon Highway 138 and follow the gorgeous North Umpqua just past Toketee Falls to F.S. Road 34. Go north about three miles to the parking area and follow the path to the springs.