Camping at Alvord Hot Springs
Remote desert landscapes, snow-covered mountains, hot springs, and endless gravel roads...if this sounds like a good weekend to you, keep reading.
The Alvord Desert is about a 4.5-hour drive from where we’re staying. We headed out Friday afternoon and got to our campsite around 7 p.m. A quick forewarning for anyone planning to visit: use Google Maps! Apple Maps had us backtracking, making U-turns, and added an extra 45 minutes to our drive. It’s also worth noting that the last ten miles are completely unpaved, gravel roads with absolutely no service.
We booked a campsite at the Alvord Hot Springs. It was $60 a night, but the site included a fire ring, flushable toilets, running sink water, 24/7 access to the hot springs, and a private path to the Alvord Desert. We considered camping directly on the playa since it’s free, but we were worried about the car getting stuck if the ground got wet. Thank God we didn’t, because on the second day it started snowing, and even the big trucks and RVs were having trouble getting out.
Friday evening, we hustled out to the desert to set up a small stylized “bridal shoot.” We barely caught the end of sunset, and once it got dark, we headed back to camp, made dinner, enjoyed the hot springs, and called it a night.
Alvord Hot Springs
Steens Mountains
One thing we seriously underestimated was the wind. It was relentless. In the middle of the night, our tarp blew off, and everything had to be weighed down with rocks.
The next morning was pretty relaxed. Around 11 a.m., we headed to Pike Creek Trail. It’s about 7.5 miles round trip, and it ended up being a little steeper than we initially expected. It wasn’t too difficult, but you do gain around 2,000 feet of elevation. The views along the way were absolutely beautiful.
That evening, we went back to the hot springs and spent the night by the campfire before calling it an early night.
View from Pike Creek Trail
Willow creek Hot springs
Time and time again, we keep underestimating Mother Nature. Sunday, we woke up to a surprise snowfall. Our entire tent and campsite were covered, and of course, we hadn’t put up the rain tarp the night before because snow never even crossed our minds as a possibility. Everything was soaked.
By 5 a.m., we packed up the car and headed toward our final stop of the weekend: Willow Creek Hot Springs. I had been wanting to do a creative photoshoot in the water, and after finding this spot on the map, it felt like the perfect fit for the vibe we were going for.
It’s incredibly remote, about another 30+ miles of gravel road past Alvord Hot Springs. There were no stores, gas stations, or towns anywhere in sight. So be sure to have a full tank and directions ready to go.
Luckily, there were only a couple of people camping there, so we basically had the entire hot springs to ourselves. It was beautiful, clean, and the water temperature was perfect. Halfway through the shoot, it started snowing again, which honestly felt like the cherry on top.
Overall, this detour was more than worth the extra drive. That wraps up this weekend's adventure. Stay tuned for the next outing!
Willow Creek Hot Springs
