Summer Lake Hot Springs Magic

So it turns out that a lack of planning can lead to ridiculously amazing experiences when you’re traveling 😉

Vance and I discovered Summer Lake Hot Springs totally by chance. Our destination on this leg of our journey would ultimately be Reno, but luckily we had a handful of free days to play with and hearts that yearned for fresh wonder.

While driving south from Boise, Vance mentioned he had heard Oregon is filled with loads of natural hot springs across the state. He suggested that maybe we should try to find one on our route.

It only took a few clicks for Google to blow my mind when it displayed a handful of natural hot spring that were yes indeed, right on our route. After reviewing our options (seriously?!), there was one in particular that stood out to me… yep you guessed it, Summer Lake Hot Springs!

There’s something mystical about these natural hot springs located in the far-reaching, desolate deserts of the Oregon outback. The vastness of the dry, open space silhouetted by stunning mountain views creates a quiet serenity that is truly unmatched. And don’t even get me started with the stars…

Sounds pretty great already, right? And I haven’t even mentioned the ancient healing waters! The original bath house was built in 1929 and today it boasts a large indoor pool (98 F) and three outdoor rock hot tubs (104 F), which arguably provided me with the most incredible stargazing experience I’ve ever had in my lifetime.

Located nearly one mile below ground, the fresh water is heated by volcanic conditions before it travels to the surface, collecting a variety of healing minerals along the way. Needless to say… we never wanted to leave and I cannot wait to return. Two days was not enough!

As a side adventure, we also took the opportunity to briefly explore the Paisley Caves. This cave system includes four caves located in the Summer Lake basin, and it was only a 15 minute (or so?) Jeep ride from the hot springs. Incredibly, one of these caves apparently contains archaeological evidence of the oldest definitively-dated human presence in all of North America. Pretty cool find!

At the end of each adventure (or relaxation) filled day, we have been grateful for our Wired to Explore basecamp retreat. This modest, unassuming portal to adventure has been absolutely dreamy for just the two of us. We are smitten with our cozy ‘Opt Out’ (aka the motorhome) and our unstoppable getaway ‘GOAT’ (aka the Jeep)!

Of course, no Wired to Explore adventure would be complete without a proper beer pairing. Every beer deserves its very own adventure of a lifetime!