BLM Alvord Hot Springs — Alvord Desert East Shore

Alvord Hot Springs sits at the base of Steens Mountain’s east fault scarp, right where the playa floor of the Alvord Desert meets the sage hills. Two concrete tubs fed by a 170°F geothermal source — cooled to a soak-able 100°F or so — sit in a corrugated metal shelter with the whole white expanse of the playa laid out in front of you. There’s dispersed camping scattered along the gravel road nearby, and the dark sky out here is genuinely world-class. Busy on summer weekends but you can usually find solitude mid-week.

Access is via Fields-Denio Road (Whitehorse Ranch Road), a well-maintained gravel road passable to most 2WD rigs in dry conditions. The springs are on private land managed under a fee agreement — there’s a small nightly charge, collected on the honor system or by the caretaker. This is a natural extension stop for anyone running the Hart Mountain to Frenchglen corridor or the broader Oregon Outback loop. Confirm current access and fee status before you go — ownership has changed hands in recent years.

Hot springs on the edge of the Oregon playa.