I like Babgy.
Breitenbush is also nice.

The best one is up in WA a tad south of Port Angeles into the Olympic Natl forest. i don't think it has a name.

i used to live in portland for a couple years about 10 years ago. still visit friends there alot. nice big town with a small town feel.
anyway, the other replies so far have bagby, brietenbush and cougar listed.
i always thought bagby was a little sketchy, especially for a female that is alone. depends on when you go.
breitenbush is nice because it is a resort/retreat and cared for by some really great people.
cougar is one of my favorites and is a must if you are in the area. absolutely beautiful especially on a rainy weekday morning when no one is there.

as for some others, which i haven't been to in many years so don't take my word on how they are now:
olympic hot springs up in the olympic national park in washington is really fantastic. picture yourself in an old growth, semi-rain forest with white lilies blooming all around you and a few different pools to choose from. absolutely stunning.

a little closer to portland up the gorge on the washington side is another resort/retreat named carson hot springs. although the resort charges to use their facilities there are a couple free pools down on the other side of the river that are really nice. you need to cross the river which can be a little tricky when it is running high. there used to be a foot bridge but that was a long time ago and it was kind of scary so i would always swim across. you can park in the resort parking area and walk down the trail to the river. the hot springs are hard to see when empty of people because they are holes in the large rock formations. they are just downstream from the footbridge (if it is still there).

oh, and carson and breitenbush both offer various types of massage for a reasonable price if you really want to relax.

happy soaking!

The Best? most definetly Cougar Hot Springs. At one time Bagby was a nice place. But, alot of riftraft have taken it over. Bigilow is cool by too close to the road. Umpqua is also a very good Hot Spring but, a little ways from Portland. I really donot know of any good ones in Washington.

Frosty

Carson Hotsprings is a wonderful secret (until now) springs! My fav 4 sure! It's probably the closest to Portland. It's up the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side. Last time I was at the free pools (about a year ago) there were no trespassing signs in the parking lot. We ignored them and had a GREAT soak!

In the forest:

Cougar
www.idahohotsprings.com/destinat...index.htm

Bagby

Bigelow
www.idahohotsprings.com/destinat...index.htm

In the desert:

Juntura
www.idahohotsprings.com/destinat...index.htm

Alvord
www.idahohotsprings.com/destinat...index.htm

Willow Creek
www.idahohotsprings.com/destinat...index.htm

Hart Mountain (video link)
www.idahohotsprings.com/hot_spri...video.htm

Peace outside!

Cougar (Terwiliger) Hot Springs in Oregon are my favorite hot springs so far. I only get there once a year or so. I love getting in the hottest pool, then dumping the ice cold water over me from the stream next to the springs. Nothin' like good ole contrast hydrotherapy!
Olympic Hot Springs in Washington are great, too, though. The hike in is a lot of fun.

Most of the ones I like are already listed. Bagby can be great during the day, and if you are in a group, into the night. Carson is your next closest. The resort has old fashioned bath tubs that have curtain dividers. I think the bath is up to 12 bucks now, and that includes getting wrapped up and allowed to lay down on a bed and sweat some more. For another $65 (or so) you can schedule a massage. The springs on the other side of the river used to have a pay parking lot, but I heard it's private. The last time I was there there were a lot of fishermen around and I was glad I had the bathing suit back up.

Breitenbush, when I have had the chance to stay there, has had the best vegitarian food and I'm not vegitarian. It's filling and flavorful and if I could cook like that I might become vegitarian. Great pools, nearby old growth, steam room. Hiking. Great workshops are on their calendar. You are looking at least $20 for the day.

When I was a kid I had the opportunity to soak in the pools near Ka Nee Tah which are now off limits if you are not part of the tribe. The pool is nice even in the winter though. It's probably $9 or $10 without the slide bracelet. I heard there are still private rooms and of course if you want to go to a casino, there is one a couple of miles up the road. I have kids, so they enjoy the pool and slide a lot. The weather is often sunny there even when it's cloudy everywhere else.

I really liked McCready 10 years ago. Umpqua is great, too.

If you go to the opposite corner of the state down by Nevada, there are a couple of very cool springs. One is a running hot river and the other one is near White Horse ranch.

Owyhee canyon has one (or had one 7 years ago) but that's in Eastern Oregon.

I have directions to them if you are interested.

best springs in washington?

easy!

Goldmeyer.

Olympic HS in Washington is OK, depends on who else is there. There are only 2 pools really worth it, to me-- one is wayyyy at the top of the cascades, keep hiking up thru the pools until you find the little private one at the top with the stash spot. It's the hottest. The biggest is obvious, but under a menacing overhang and pretty shallow. ALSO, the trail closes in the winter without -telling- anyone, so if you end up parking at the dam beware there's a 6 mile hike and two stream crossings ahead of you. I found this out the hard way, hiked the 6 miles in snow and crossed the two streams the bridges had been washed out on, in the dark... To find the only worthwile pools were already taken.

Then we got puking drunk, mild hypothermia, 4 people and a dog into a tiny 2-person tent, and hiked back out the next day in frozen clothes... Yeah. Why are the stupidest decisions made in the dead of a snowstorm while you're drunk always the best bonding experiences?

Also, in regards to Bagby, I've had friends turned away from there by russian guys with guns. -I- have never had a problem, so it's still my favorite, but I've heard about "the Russians" that from several sources, so watch out.

Mc Cready Hotsprings, Oregon
In 1951, my uncle George Owen owned the resort lodge known as the McCready Springs Resort. As a child I remember what a treat it was to spend weekends during the late 50's swimming in a 90 degree hot spring fed swimming pool with a foot of new fallen snow surrounding the sides of the pool. The lodge had a fire and burned down and for a number of years just family and friends of the Owen's utilized the cabins and pool. It was located about 8 miles east of Oakridge on highway 58 just east of Blue Pool campground, and below the ridgeline and across the highway from the old McCready Springs railroad maintenace station.
The Salt Creak river overflowed and took out half of the old bathhouse pool complex. The 99 year lease was lost and the forest service returned it back to its natural state... but you should be able to still find the original hot spring which fed the pool... it was about 8-10 foot in diameter and pumps out hotspring water at over 105 degrees..... I can picture it clearly... but must admit that while my childhood memory is clear... i haven't been back there since 1972...
I have many fond memories of the area, and may revisit it next month... I will post some pictures with my next post.