This Oregon lake has natural hot springs built into its own shoreline, and the hike there is nearly flat
Most Oregon alpine lakes are fed by snowmelt, and they stay cold enough to make you gasp on contact. Paulina Lake does that too, except along one stretch of its shore, the water underneath is doing something different — it’s warm.
The lake sits inside the Newberry Caldera, a collapsed volcano about 25 miles south of Bend, and at 250 feet deep, it’s one of the deepest lakes in Oregon. The same underground heat that built Big Obsidian Flow a few miles away keeps this one patch of shoreline running warm year-round.
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Getting there is a flat, 4.2-mile round trip on the Paulina Lakeshore Trail, starting from the day-use area by Little Crater Campground. It’s an easy walk through lodgepole pine with lake views the whole way, and most people cover it in about 90 minutes — read our full Newberry National Volcanic Monument guide if you want to build a full day around it.
What you’ll find isn’t a built tub — it’s a stretch of sandy shoreline where geothermal water seeps up and mixes with the cold lake. Existing soaking spots run anywhere from about 90 to 115 degrees depending on how much lake water gets in, so the temperature shifts by the foot.
The Forest Service asks visitors to stick to those existing pools instead of digging new ones — this is a protected riparian shoreline, and camping or fires directly on Hot Springs Beach aren’t allowed either. It’s a fair trade for a hot spring you can walk to in under an hour, and a lukewarm soak with a view like this beats a scalding one with nothing to look at.
Bring a swimsuit and water shoes for the sandy entry, and expect company — this is one of the more accessible hot springs in Central Oregon, not a secret. If you’re making a day of the caldera, Paulina Peak and the obsidian flow are both close enough to add on, and Paulina Lake itself is worth a paddle if you brought a kayak.
The day-use area requires a Northwest Forest Pass or valid recreation pass, so grab one before you go if you don’t already have one. Pack it into a bigger Central Oregon loop and you’ll wonder why more people don’t know a volcano’s crater lake comes with its own hot tub built in.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead — Paulina Lake Campground is right on the shore if you want to stay the night.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
