Johnson Spring

Harney County, Oregon · Near Hines
43.2650°N, 119.2760°W · 4,120 ft
72°F 4,120 ft Short Walk
Aerial view of the ground around Johnson Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Johnson Spring
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Johnson Spring is a lukewarm spring in Harney County, Oregon, twenty-two miles or so from Hines. Tepid water, the temperature of a cool bath. The USGS logged it as a thermal location, and that is the extent of what is on record; No owner and access is on record, and no second name appears from any other source.

Location

Under a quarter mile from an unnamed road, out in dry high desert with light winter snow. No campground is listed anywhere near. Nobody has tied a land unit or a designation to the spring.

Winter is the season the file lists as best, and with so little snow that is not much of an obstacle. Too cool to soak in. No information on ownership or access exists on record, so confirm before visiting. The temperature is a survey reading of unknown date, and no water chemistry was ever filed for the site.

Terrain

Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Johnson Spring.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
4 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the southwest

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
73 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 8% of the springs on this site.

Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
29°
Jan
34°
Feb
40°
Mar
47°
Apr
55°
May
64°
Jun
75°
Jul
74°
Aug
64°
Sep
50°
Oct
38°
Nov
29°
Dec
Annual Precip: 12.1 in Annual Snow: 25.1 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 29°F · Water 72°F · +43° contrast
December Air 29°F · Water 72°F · +43° contrast
February Air 34°F · Water 72°F · +39° contrast
January offers 46°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
WNW 11.2 mph
Tuesday 73° Low 38° Mostly Sunny 3% precip
Wednesday 71° Low 41° Sunny 8% precip
Spring is +1° warmer
Thursday 70° Low 40° Chance Rain Showers 40% precip
Spring is +2° warmer
Friday 75° Low 40° Sunny 4% precip
Saturday 77° Low 42° Sunny
Temperature
72°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 72°F (22°C)
Avg Air Temp 50°F
Above Ambient +22°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.1 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Johnson Spring?
Johnson Spring has a water temperature of 72°F (22°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Johnson Spring located?
Johnson Spring is located in Harney County, Oregon at 4,120 feet elevation, near Hines. Coordinates: 43.2650°N, 119.2760°W.
How do I get to Johnson Spring?
Johnson Spring has Short Walk road access (0.1 mi from the road).
Sources: USGS NWIS