Quick FactsOverview
About Austin Hot Springs
Austin Hot Springs, Oregon, also known as Carey Hot Springs, is a series of extremely hot geothermal seeps along the Clackamas River in Clackamas County, approximately 37 miles southeast of Estacada and 60 miles from Portland. Source temperatures reach 186 degrees Fahrenheit with unpredictable bursts up to 200 degrees or more from hydrothermal vents in the river bottom and along both banks. The water has a total dissolved solids content of 1,144 milligrams per liter with sulfate present. Estacada, a small city at the western gateway to the Clackamas River corridor, is the nearest community with services.
Despite being on private property with documented dangers, hundreds of visitors access the site annually, building unauthorized rock-lined pools along the river where hot seeps mix with cold river water. The main soaking area on the roadside of the river has pools of varying sizes and temperatures. Hot water also gushes from a cliff on the opposite bank, where it can be mixed with river water more controllably. The Oregon Burn Center has documented at least 50 burn injuries from this spring, some requiring months of hospitalization.
Portland General Electric owned the site until 1985. The property is currently held by an out-of-state trust.
Location & Access
Getting to Austin Hot Springs
Austin Hot Springs is located along the Clackamas River Road (Forest Road 46) in Clackamas County, approximately 310 feet from the road. The site is approximately 37 miles southeast of Estacada and 60 miles from downtown Portland. The drive from Portland takes approximately 1.5 hours via SE Highway 224 and the Clackamas River Road through the Mt. Hood National Forest. The road is paved.
The springs are on private property. Signs warn that the area is private and access is not authorized. Despite these warnings, visitors continue to access the site. The closest campground is approximately 2.8 miles away.
Clackamas River Corridor
The Clackamas River corridor in the Mt. Hood National Forest is a popular recreation area for Portland residents. For visitors seeking hot springs near Estacada, Bagby Hot Springs (67 miles southeast of Portland, 1.5-mile hike, log soaking tubs in a forest setting) is the most popular legal alternative. Austin Hot Springs draws visitors because of its proximity to Portland and its dramatic volcanic steam display along the river, but the private property status and extreme burn danger make it a site that is better observed from the road than soaked in.
Suitability & Accessibility
Who Should Visit Austin Hot Springs
Austin Hot Springs is included in this directory for informational purposes. The site is on private property and access is not authorized by the landowner. Over 50 burn injuries have been documented at the Oregon Burn Center from this spring. The water temperature is unpredictable, with sudden bursts of 200-degree water emerging from the river bottom without warning. Visitors who choose to access the site do so at their own risk and in violation of the property owner wishes.
The dramatic volcanic steam and the visual spectacle of hot water meeting cold river water can be observed from the road. The Clackamas River corridor is scenic and the drive through the Mt. Hood National Forest is worthwhile on its own.
Accessibility at Austin Hot Springs
The site is roadside but on private property. Those seeking natural hot springs Oregon offers near Portland with legal access should visit Bagby Hot Springs (USFS, 1.5-mile hike, log soaking tubs), Terwilliger Hot Springs (USFS, short hike, cascading pools near Cougar Reservoir, 53 miles east of Eugene), or McCredie Hot Springs (roadside, free, off Highway 58 near Oakridge). All three are on public Forest Service land with legal access, established soaking infrastructure, and significantly lower burn risk than the unpredictable hydrothermal vents at Austin Hot Springs.
Safety & Etiquette
Austin Hot Springs Safety Tips
Austin Hot Springs is one of the most dangerous hot springs in the Pacific Northwest. Source temperatures reach 186 degrees Fahrenheit, with unpredictable bursts up to 200 degrees or more from hydrothermal vents in the river bottom. Over 50 people have been burned at this site, with some requiring hospitalization at the Oregon Burn Center for months and undergoing multiple surgeries. Burns can occur without warning when boiling water erupts from the pool bottom or when flow rates change suddenly.
The site is on private property. Signs warn that access is not authorized. Despite warnings, visitors continue to build pools and soak. The flow rate and temperature are highly unpredictable. A pool that is comfortable one moment can become scalding the next. A waterproof digital thermometer is essential for anyone near the water.
Legal and Property Considerations
The property was owned by Portland General Electric until 1985 and is currently held by an out-of-state trust. Accessing the springs constitutes trespassing on private property. The property owner has posted signs and attempted to prevent access for decades. Multiple lawsuits have resulted from burn injuries at this site.
Safer Alternatives
Bagby Hot Springs (USFS, log soaking tubs, 1.5-mile hike), Terwilliger Hot Springs (USFS, cascading pools, short hike), and McCredie Hot Springs (free, roadside) are legal, safer alternatives in the Oregon Cascades with legal access and predictable water temperatures.
