Alvord Hot Springs is a
geothermal spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
located in
Harney County
Harney County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,495, making it the sixth-least populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Burns. Established in 1889, the county is named in ho ...
in southeastern
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Geography
The spring lies at elevation on the western edge of the
Alvord Desert
The Alvord Desert is a desert located in Harney County, in southeastern Oregon in the Western United States. It is roughly southeast of Steens Mountain. The Alvord Desert is a dry lake bed and averages of rain a year. Two mountain ranges se ...
into which the spring flows and eventually evaporates. To the west of the springs lies
Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain is in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon, and is a large fault-block mountain. Located in Harney County, it stretches some north to south, and rises from the west side the Alvord Desert at elevation of about to a ...
, a north-south running range with a peak of above sea level.
Soaking pools
The source averages 174 °F (79 °C), but a system of pipes cools and regulates the flow of incoming water so that the pool temperature is maintained about 105 °F (44 °C). The spring smells somewhat of
sulfur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
, yet not enough to dissuade visitors from soaking in one of two small, man-made rectangular concrete soaking pools, which are 3 feet (1 m) deep and either 25 by 50 feet (7.5 x 15 m)
or 10 by 20 (3 x 6 m).
The soaking pools have a covered, as well as an open portion, the covered portion being rustic in its corrugated sheet metal and wood construction.
Public access
Though they are on private property, before 2013, the use of the hot springs was free and open to the public year-round.
In early 2013 the property owners (the Alvord Ranch) installed a full-time caretaker in a trailer and started construction of a parking-lot and a small building which will house a store. Access to the hot springs are no longer free. Maintenance is volunteered by local residents and all visitors are encouraged to help keep the springs clean.
See also
*
List of hot springs in the United States
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This is a dynamic list of hot springs in the United States. The Western states in particular are known for their thermal springs: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyomin ...
References
Hot springs of Oregon
Bodies of water of Harney County, Oregon
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