Hot springs near Portland, OR

Portland lies at the north end of the Willamette Valley, west of the Cascade Range. The nearest thermal springs are east and southeast of the city on the west slope of the Cascades, a volcanic arc, on the Mount Hood National Forest. U.S. 26 runs east to Government Camp on the south flank of Mount Hood, and Oregon 224 follows the Clackamas River southeast from Estacada into the forest. Farther south, Oregon 22 climbs the North Santiam River into the Willamette National Forest. Across the Columbia River, Washington State Route 14 runs east through the Columbia River Gorge toward the Wind River valley on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, an area the Washington Geological Survey identifies as having elevated geothermal heat.

In winter, the Oregon Department of Transportation posts signs requiring drivers to carry chains or traction tires, or to use them, on the Cascade passes, including U.S. 26 over Mount Hood, under Oregon Administrative Rule Chapter 734, Division 17. Current chain requirements appear on TripCheck. Higher forest roads that lead toward backcountry springs are often not plowed, and the Mount Hood National Forest publishes a seasonal snow report for its roads and recreation sites.