Hike to Goldmyer Hot Springs

Goldmyer Hot Springs is a beautiful little gem nestled within the wilderness of the stunning Cascade Mountains. This hot springs complex is situated on the old remains of a mining town, and delivers steadily flowing water to a set of tiered pools along the mountainside. The “cave” pool at the top hovers around 110 degrees, but as the water cascades down into the lower pools, it cools down to a pleasant 104 degrees. There is also a cold water pool adjacent to the hot springs that's fed straight from Burntboot Creek and is great for cool downs (if you’re brave enough). Also, if you feel up to braving the darkness of the cave pool you can walk all the way to the back, where you'll find a nice little bench sitting just above the water that you can relax on - makes for a great little natural sauna. Keep in mind that Goldmyer is a clothing optional area.

Although these pools are a popular destination, they thankfully never feel too crowded. That’s because the live-in caretakers strictly limit admission to 20 people per day. The area is privately owned and managed by the environmental non-profit Northwest Wilderness Programs to ensure its preservation. If you don't want to squeeze 9+-miles of hiking into a single day, it's recommended to camp overnight. Goldmyer has eight fantastic campsites, clean outhouses, and provides bear cans and pulley systems at each site for food storage. The pools are 1/4 mile hike uphill from the campground. Either way, it is important to make reservations well in advance.

Getting the Goldmyer is a mission, but it’s well worth it. Keep in mind that it's important to check ahead of time that the road is open, as this area is prone to flooding and frequent construction closures. Take Exit 34 from I-90 and head into North Bend - you'll quickly find the Middle Fork Rd. on your right. Continue on this road for 9 miles, go past the Middle Fork Campground, and then take a right immediately after the single-lane bridge and follow signs for the Dingford Creek Trailhead. This road in pretty bad shape and higher clearance vehicles are highly recommended for the 5 mile journey in. Once at the Dingford Creek Trailhead, you have two options: a relatively easy 4.5-mile hike along a forest access road to reach the hot springs (head through the old gate), or a only slightly harder but much more scenic 5 mile hike along the Middle Fork trail and Burntboot Creek (find the trail behind the outhouse in the parking lot).

Winter is actually an amazing time to visit (assuming the road is accessible). It’s much less crowded and jumping into the hot pools after 4+-miles of snowshoeing is pretty awesome.

Check the calendar for availability, and call (206) 789-5631 to request a reservation.