Table of Contents:
- What Is a Hot Spring Elopement?
- 7 Best Hot Springs in the PNW for Elopements
- PNW Hot Spring Elopement Photographer
Wanna make things a little steamy on your elopement day? đŹď¸Visit a hot spring! Hot springs are one of my fave places to shoot, itâs so fun to be able to shoot in the water at any time of year and get super cozy with your babe. 10/10 recommend a hot spring elopement (or even shooting your engagement photos at a hot spring!), so to help ya plan, Iâm going to give you a few of my favorite PNW hot springs that would be great for an elopement. Iâve included ones across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and trust me, theyâre all sooo dreamy (and steamy)!
What Is a Hot Spring Elopement?
If you clicked on this blog post and wondered, wait, wtf even is a hot spring elopementâyouâre in the right place! A hot spring elopement is literally just what the name suggests: when you spend part of your elopement day at a hot spring, lounging around and enjoying the warm waters with scenic views around you. Weâre lucky enough to have a TON of beautiful natural hot springs here in the PNW, so I love taking my couples to a hot spring if thereâs one nearby where theyâre eloping. Itâs such a fun addition to any elopement day, especially at the end of the day when youâre ready to relax! This could look like you visiting a hot spring at sunrise, before you get ready for the day, or maybe hitting one up after your ceremony as the sun sets. Itâs totally up to you and what your elopement timeline looks like.
Can you elope at a hot spring?
Of course! You can take elopement portraits at a hot spring as long as there are no rules in the area about photography or anything, and as long as you check for any permits you need for the trail. As far as an actual ceremony goes, you could totally exchange your vows at a hot spring, but tbh I recommend just taking portraits either before/after your ceremony somewhere else so that you can totally relax and not have to worry about any of the official stuff.
Do you need a permit to elope at a hot spring?
It depends on the location! Some hot springs require a permit for access if theyâre located on private property, or they may require a fee to be paid at the trailhead parking lot. You should double check at the specific hot spring youâre considering eloping at to make sure youâre familiar with the rules! As long as youâre not having a big ceremony or anything, though, you generally wonât need any sort of Special Use Permit.
What is the best time of year to elope at a hot spring?
The best thing about hot springs is that you can visit them at any time of yearâeven in the winter! Which is super cool because most of the popular outdoor elopement locations in the PNW (aka the mountains) are limited to late spring, summer, and early fall elopements due to snow. But when you visit a hot springs, you wonât need to worry about the cold; youâll be super warm and cozy in the water with your boo đ
7 Best Hot Springs in the PNW for Elopements
1. Baker Hot Springs | Concrete, WA
Difficulty: Easy
Route type: Out & back
Hike distance: 0.6 mi
Elevation gain: 52 ft
Dogs allowed? Yes
Permits/passes needed: None
Baker Hot Springs is a great hot springs to visit in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, about 1.5 hours from Bellingham. Itâs easy to get to via a super quick trail with barely any elevation gain, and you can drive all the way to the trailhead as long as road conditions allow! This is one hot spring that actually isnât accessible in the winter, due to snow at Mount Baker. The path is marked by a spray painted rock that says âhot springsâ so you shouldnât have any trouble finding it. Itâs a perf spot for photos with a few massive logs you can sit/perch on, and beautiful greenery all aroundâthe way the light shines through the trees at the right time of day is sooo dreamy!Â
2. Goldmyer Hot Springs | North Bend, WA
Difficulty: Moderate
Route type: Out & back
Hike distance: 10.4 mi
Elevation gain: 892 ft
Dogs allowed? No
Permits/passes needed: Northwest Forest Pass, and reservation required (day use fee is $30 per adult)
If youâre down for a longer hike and are able to plan a bit more in advance, Goldmyer Hot Springs is SUCH a gorgeous hot spring about 25 miles east of North Bend, tucked at the base of the Cascades. Itâs one of the more âluxuriousâ hot springs on this list, being that it actually has amenities such as an open-air cabana, campsites, outhouses, picnic tables, and even a bike rack! Youâll take a 4.5 mile backcountry hike from the trailhead to a really beautiful 20-acre wilderness preserve, where youâll then find the hot spring pools. Thereâs even a few little waterfalls as well as multiple hiking trails through the forest, which you can access once you have your reservation!
You do need to reserve a time to visit Goldmyer Hot Springs in advance, and thereâs a 20 person per day limitâso this isnât one you can visit super last minute. You can either look at the calendar for an opening during the current or next month, or you can enter the monthly lottery for priority access! A day use reservation costs $30 per adult, or you can make a special exclusive use reservation on Tuesdays for a group of up to 8 people ($240)âgreat if you wanna bring your besties along for the adventure.
3. Cougar Hot Springs | Willamette National Forest
Difficulty: Easy
Route type: Out & back
Hike distance: 0.9 mi
Elevation gain: 85 ft
Dogs allowed? No
Permits/passes needed: $10 pass per person for 2 hours
Cougar Hot Springs isnât just one soaking pool, but four! Itâs a super pretty area with four tiered pools spaced apart by rock walls, with temperatures ranging from 85 degrees F in the lowest pool to 112 degrees F in the highest pool. So youâve got options depending on how warm it is outside + what vibe youâre feeling! Each pool is 2-3 feet deep, and youâre surrounded by dense woodland with plenty of greenery and dappled sunlight shining through the canopy. The hot spring is day use only, from sunrise to sundown, and itâs first come, first served with space to fit up to 50 people. Youâll need to buy a $10 pass per person, which grants you access to the springs for up to 2 hours, as well as access to the trail, lagoon, and parking lot. Itâs open year-round but keep in mind that Forest Service Rd 19 to get there isnât maintained for winter weather, so itâs possible it could be closed off at certain points!
4. Umpqua Hot Springs | Umpqua National Forest, OR
Difficulty: Moderate
Route type: Out & back
Hike distance: 0.6 mi
Elevation gain: 147 ft
Dogs allowed? Yes
Permits/passes needed: $5 day use fee or valid Northwest Forest Pass
I swear I can never spell Umpqua right but oh well, the hot springs are amazing anyway! Itâs just a quick 0.3 mile hike to the hot springs, which overlook the Umpqua River up on a pretty natural terrace along the North Umpqua trail. Theyâre super easily accessible from the road, and there are multiple different pools on the hillside that you can swim in that get cooler the further down you go. The hot springs are open from sunrise to sunset (day use only) and if you want to stay in the area longer, you could go camping at Toketee Lake Campground nearby. P.S. no reservations are required for this one!
5. Kirkham Hot Springs | Boise National Forest, ID
Difficulty: Easy
Route type: Loop
Hike distance: 0.2 mi
Elevation gain: 29 ft
Dogs allowed? No
Permits/passes needed: $5 day use fee to park outside the gate
Letâs head down to Idaho for these last three! Kirkham Hot Springs is located on the South Fork of the Payette River, accessible via a quick loop trail and a staircase that leads you down to the pools. This is such a gorgeous soaking spring on the banks of the river, with easy access to the scenic Kirkham Ridge Trail, steaming waterfalls, wildflowers, and even whitewater rafting + kayaking on the river itself. Theyâre open for day use only, from 7:00am to 9:00pm, and youâll need to pay a $5 fee per vehicle/per day to park outside of the closed gate. No reservations neededâyou can simply walk in! Just be careful as you walk along the rock surfaces by the springs because theyâre pretty uneven and can get slippery. Actually, that goes for all of the hot springs on this list!
6. Trail Creek Hot Springs | Boise National Forest, ID
Difficulty: Easy
Route type: Out & back
Hike distance: 0.2 mi
Elevation gain: 16 ft
Dogs allowed? Yes
Permits/passes needed: None
Trail Creek Hot Springs is also in Boise National Forest, boasting two spacious hot springs walled in by rocks and surrounded by forest. The pools tend to get pretty busy because itâs such a short (albeit steep) walk from the roadâso since theyâre open year-round, you may want to try visiting in the winter when fewer people will be out hiking in the area (as long as the roads are accessible)! Averaging between 100-110 degrees F (with water entering the springs at 120 F), the temperature of the springs is actually cooled down by pipes of cold water that run into the pools but will still be plentyyy warm if you decide to visit when itâs freezing out âď¸
7. Pine Flats Hot Springs | Boise National Forest, ID
Difficulty: Easy
Route type: Out & back
Hike distance: 0.6 mi
Elevation gain: 91 ft
Dogs allowed? Yes
Permits/passes needed: $5 day use fee
Weâre ending this list on a strong note with Pine Flats Hot Springs, which is this incredible rock walled pool that has a dreamy waterfall cascading right into it. Itâs located along the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway on the South Fork of the Payette River, right at the riverâs edge, with a campground and plenty of space to explore. Itâs open year-round, 24/7âso maybe you wanna go for a romantic little midnight swim?!
You can drive up to the hot springs via a paved road, where youâll find a sign for the springs that takes you on a very brief hike to the soaking pool on the riverside! Def recommend wearing shoes with good traction since the hike down to the springs is steep and can get slick, but otherwise itâs super easy to get to. There are also a ton of campsites (over 20!) adjacent to the hot springs if you wanna stay the night before/after your elopement and sleep under the stars!
PNW Hot Spring Elopement Photographer
I hope youâre dying to elope at one of these hot springs now, because Iâm dying to photograph you at one! Whether you wanna strip down to your swimsuits or go totally bare for some tasteful, intimate photos, Iâm down for whatever the vibe isâand Iâll bring the champagne for a romantic poolside toast đĽReach out now and letâs pick the hot spring thatâs right for your elopement!
Want to see more of the coolest places to elope in the PNW? Check out some of my killer resource guides below!
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