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Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground in Oregon has been one of those random pins saved to my maps for YEARS. It was always just far enough out of the way from where I was traveling that I didn’t prioritize visiting, but I FINALLY made it there and wish I would have visited so much sooner. I’ve been to quite a few Oregon Hot Springs over the years and this one truly feels like a hidden gem that is absolutely worth planning a visit to. In this guide, I’ll cover how to get there, what to expect, where to stay and other nearby destinations to get the most out of your trip.

About Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground

This is definitely one of the more “off-the-beaten-path” type of places, and I think that’s why it stays largely unknown and not as visited as some of the other Oregon Hot Springs closer to major cities. I stumbled upon it as my partner and I were making the long trek from Bend, Oregon to Colorado. I searched “campground” and saw this in my saved places from YEARS ago. It’s honestly wild that there are places like this that still exist with FREE camping and a well maintained hot spring.

Here’s a general summary of what I’ll cover in this post:

• It is also called Antelope Hot Springs as it is on a National Antelope Refuge! (I did not see any antelope)
• It was temporarily closed through 2024 and half of 2025 due to fires, but it is very much OPEN.
• There are 25 primitive, first-come, first-served campsites
• Pit Toilets are available, but no other amenities exist here
• There are 2 total hot springs (one developed, and one natural)
• Located in a very remote area: It is 2+ hours from any “city”
• Dirt Roads to get here

How to Get to Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground:

A lot of guides say to drive in through Plush, Oregon to avoid “treacherous” roads, but I think that has either changed, or maybe only applies to the Winter season. I did arrive driving through Plush, Oregon, but then continued on Rock Creek Road after my visit to continue East and had no complaints about the road. It IS a dirt road for MILES, but my visit in December of 2025 I was met with nicely graded dirt and gravel roads that only had a few very short sections of bumps or potholes.

So, do I think you need a 4×4 vehicle or high clearance? No, absolutely not, but I do think a standard SUV with SOME clearance would be helpful and make for a much better experience getting there.

Directions to Hart Mountain Hot Springs:

Once you reach the area of the hot springs, there are several signs pointing you in the right direction! Be aware that there is NO cell service there, so I highly recommend downloading your maps beforehand. Using Google Maps to navigate to Hot Springs Campground Rd, Oregon. You can also navigate to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge Visitor Center and follow the signs past the center to end up at the Hot Springs and the Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground. Another easy way to do this is directly copy the coordinates from AllTrails for the Hot Springs if you are worried about getting lost!

Before you visit…

I’ve seen a lot of hot springs get absolutely trashed by people not respecting the land. My experience here was extremely positive. Everything was so clean (including the vault toilets!) and we were the only people there the evening we arrived. From my perspective it seemed well managed. That being said, I’ve had a few people reach out to tell me that they’ve experienced this place in absolute disrepair. It unfortunately only takes one person to ruin an experience for others and cause damage to these natural spaces we get to enjoy. Please don’t be that person.

If you are not familiar with visiting hot springs, please read my guide on HOT SPRING ETIQUETTE to do your part in keeping our natural spaces beautiful for years to come.

In Summary:

• Leave No Trace
• No Glass (there is signage stating this as well!)
• Clothing is Optional
• What goes in a pool, stays in a pool (don’t bathe or urinate in these) and also avoid soaps/lotions/body oils, etc before entering the pools
• Watch out for trash/glass (wear protective footwear down to the pools because people don’t always follow the rules)
• Be polite and keep your noise to a normal level.
• Be prepared to pack out ALL of your garbage.

The Pools at Hart Mountain Hot Springs:

I went in December during a pretty cold and windy day. It made the hot springs that much more rewarding!! I wouldnt say the hot springs were particularly HOT, but they were absolutely lovely and warm enough to stay comfortable in them for a long time. Reports online say that the pool temperatures stay just around 100°F and that feels accurate. We mostly stayed in the developed pool as the stone wall gave us a wind barrier and made us feel a bit warmer than the natural pool.

The size of the pools are decent! The developed pool can fit at least 6 people comfortably, and it is DEEP in a few sections. I had no problem standing up on a few shelfs in there (and I’m 5’2 and it wasn’t over my head, but it WAS up to my neck). The pool out in the field is a bit different. I feel like it was a couple degrees warmer, but with the wind exposure, it didn’t FEEL warmer. It’s a lot shallower, so we were almost laying down in it to have our bodies covered with the warm water. Soft, dirt bottom of this one, vs the rock bottom of the developed pool.

Where are the pools?

You’ll be turning right from the dirt road to get to the hot spring pools. Continuing straight will lead you to the campground! You can see the campground from the hot springs, so they are quite close. When you arrive in the hot springs parking lot, you’ll immediately see the stone walls of the developed pool. The parking lot is a decent size and could fit at roughly 15 vehicles if parked intelligently haha. There is also a pit toilet in the parking lot.

To get to the “natural” pool, you’ll follow the trail southwest out of the west corner of the parking lot. The trail is VERY short, at maybe 0.2 miles to get to the other spring (I believe it took me about 5 minutes to walk it). AllTrails has it listed as almost a mile, but that’s because it is including the campground road and creating a loop out of it.

Best Time to Visit Hart Mountain Hot Springs:

Because this is one of a few Eastern Oregon hot springs, the weather is going to change pretty dramatically throughout the year. So the time of year you plan to go will very much depend on your preferences, but here’s some information to make that decision:

Winter (Dec – Feb): I went in mid December and it was honestly pretty ideal for me (except the wind was a little annoying). The outside temperatures were cold and the reported average is highs in the upper 30s to low 40s°F. In general you CAN expect snow in the later parts of Winter here, but there was NONE while I was there. The lows are where you really want to make sure you’re prepared, as they often average low 20’s and teens in Fahrenheit.

Spring (Mar – May): The Spring months definitely bring some mixed weather and there may be some lingering snow. Highs average mid-40s°F where lows remain below freezing. It is the high desert after all!

Summer (Jun – Aug): Summers here you can expect it to be very hot, dry, and sunny. Highs reach the 70s-90s°F and August will be the hottest month here. I’ve been in this general area in the Summer once and it was almost unbearable for me during the day, but the nights do cool off.

Fall (Sep – Nov): Warm days and cold nights. September and October are pretty ideal for comfortable camping, but the days may still be a bit warm to properly enjoy a hot spring (at least in MY opinion!).

If I had to pick a time to revisit, I’d be aiming for April, May, October and November as target dates. But I did love visiting in December which would be a bit more “off season” and therefore sharing it with way less people.

TIPS!

• I highly recommend camping here and waking up before the sun. We enjoyed our thermoses of tea and coffee while soaking in the developed hot spring as the sun rose. We had about 35 minutes to ourselves before 2 other people did show up that morning.
• Bring plenty of water to stay hydrated! There is NO drinking water available at the campground. The visitor center does have water, but you’ll have to go during operating hours. (It was closed while we were there)
• Bring a bathrobe! This is so silly, but my partner brings a towel like bathrobe to hot springs and its so much nicer than trying to hobble back to your car in a towel or put all your clothes back on in the wind.

Staying at the Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground – what to expect

There are actually 3 campgrounds total within the Antelope Refuge (Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground, Camp Hart Mountain and Post Meadows Campground!) In total, there are 25 primitive sites that are first-come, first-served (meaning no reservations can be made). There is signage at the campgrounds that let you know what is available for tents and trailers. The camping is FREE and the max stay is 14 days.

As mentioned above, please be aware that these are PRIMITIVE campsites. This means that there is no water, trash or amenities available (other than the vault toilets!). Come prepared with your own garbage bags, water, food, etc. My partner has Starlink that we can turn on to access the internet and make safety calls if needed, but if you do not have this – consider a Garmin INreach Mini for safety and communication in emergencies.

The sites are close together, but fenced to separate each one, and are in a flat field down the road from the hot springs. I’ll be honest, it’s not a place I’d want to spend more than a couple nights with the sole purpose of soaking in the hot springs as much as possible!! There is just truly not a whole lot around there outside of the hot springs.

Nearby Destinations and other Oregon Hot Springs!

I have a lot of other Oregon guides to make this into a road trip whether that’s a hot spring specific road trip or a general sight seeing one!

Summary: Camping at Hart Mountain Hot Springs in Oregon

While Hart Mountain Hot Springs in Oregon truly is OFF the beaten path and pretty remote, I still think it is worth a visit. Why? More and more hot springs I visit really aren’t that enjoyable when you’re waiting in line to soak. This is far enough out there that the traffic here remains low and you get a very unique hot spring experience. The free camping at the Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground sure is an added bonus. Could these hot springs be hotter? Yes, but they were still very comfortable and warm and actually allowed me stay soaking longer because of the milder temperature these pools have. My partner and I keep reminiscing on our trip here and really feel like it was a happy accident and would 100% go back if it made sense on our route.

Does this sound like a place you’d visit?

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