Bagby Hot Springs
| Bagby Hot Springs | |
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Bagby USFS Sign
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| Type | National Forest |
| Location | Clackamas County, Oregon, US |
| Coordinates | 44°56′07″N 122°10′25″W / 44.93537°N 122.17356°WCoordinates: 44°56′07″N 122°10′25″W / 44.93537°N 122.17356°W |
| Operated by | U.S. Forest Service |
| Parking | Forest Service lot 1.5 miles (2.4 km) off-site |
The Bagby Hot Springs are natural hot springs located in the Mount Hood National Forest about 67 miles (108 km) southeast of Portland, Oregon, United States and about 41 miles (66 km) east of Salem, Oregon. The springs are within the Cascade Mountains in a heavily forested area at elevation 2280 ft (695 m). The springs are just outside the boundary of Bull of the Woods Wilderness area.
Bagby Hot Springs are rumored to have been a favorite site for Native Americans for hundreds of years. The springs are named after Bob Bagby, a prospector and hunter who found the site in 1880.
The United States Forest Service built a small guard station next to the hot springs in 1913. The Bagby Guard Station was used to house Forest Service fire patrol crews during summer fire season. In 1974, the Forest Service built a new guard station. The original cabin was closed but was left standing. In 2006, the original guard cabin was renovated. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but it is not open to the public.
A bathhouse was constructed at the hot springs in the 1920s. The original bathhouse burned down in 1979 when bathers left candles unattended in the old wooden structure. The volunteer group Friends of Bagby (FOB) formed in 1981 to rebuild the bathhouses. Between 1983 and 1986, the Forest Service and FOB joined forces to build three new bathhouses at Bagby. A conflict among the leadership of FOB led to a rift within the group in the late 1990s, and the Forest Service terminated its contract with the group in summer 2001.
The bathing facilities at Bagby Hot Springs continue to be popular to this day.
There are three major springs and several minor outlets that make up Bagby Hot Springs. The largest spring flows 24 gallons (91 liters) per minute at 138 degrees Fahrenheit (59 degrees Celsius). The two secondary springs produce 15 gallons (57 liters) per minute at 136 °F (58 °C) and 3 gallons (11 liters) per minute at 120 °F (49 °C). Water from the Bagby springs is rich with minerals. Chemical analysis of the water shows the following elements are present: silica 80 parts per million, sodium 51 parts per million, sulfate 45 parts per million, carbonate 36 parts per million, chloride 13 parts per million, calcium 3.4 parts per million, hydroxide 1 parts per million, potassium 1 parts per million, fluoride 0.8 parts per million, magnesium 0.1 parts per million, arsenic 0.01 parts per million, lithium 0.026 parts per million, strontium 0.014 parts per million, and nickel 0.004 parts per million.
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