Lost Cabin Spring

Lake County, Oregon · Near Lakeview
42.9330°N, 120.6420°W · 4,251 ft
68°F 34°F air · Good soaking weather 4,251 ft Open Roadside Bureau of Land Management Camping nearby (10.7 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Lost Cabin Spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Lost Cabin 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.

Lost Cabin Spring is a barely warm spring on Bureau of Land Management ground in Lake County, Oregon, a long way out from Lakeview, something over fifty miles. The water comes out cooler than body heat. Nobody is going to soak here, and the draw, if there is one, is that it sits right beside a road with public access listed as open.

Location

This is high desert a little above four thousand feet, managed by the Lakeview Field Office. A road runs within a few steps of the spring, close enough to see it from the driver's seat, though the record does not say which road. Winters bring under three feet of snow in a typical year. The rest of the time it is dry country.

December through February are the months flagged as best, which fits a spring whose water is only lukewarm. No walking involved, since it is roadside. Fremont Point Cabin is the closest camping on file, about eleven miles off. The land is public and open, so the main thing to check is whether the road is passable after snow.

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 Lost Cabin Spring.

Setting
Open ground
Flat, open ground all around.
Highest ground nearby
16 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the east
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from northwest to southeast, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
113 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's about 1½ times the US average of 65. It's higher than at 64% 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
31°
Jan
33°
Feb
39°
Mar
46°
Apr
55°
May
63°
Jun
74°
Jul
73°
Aug
64°
Sep
50°
Oct
38°
Nov
30°
Dec
Annual Precip: 13.8 in Annual Snow: 33.1 in
Best Time to Visit
December Air 30°F · Water 68°F · +38° contrast
January Air 31°F · Water 68°F · +37° contrast
February Air 33°F · Water 68°F · +35° contrast
December offers 44°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
34°F
ENE 0.0 mph 76% Good soaking weather
Tuesday 74° Low 44° Sunny 6% precip
Wednesday 68° Low 46° Mostly Sunny 12% precip
Thursday 69° Low 45° Chance Light Rain 39% precip
Friday 74° Low 46° Sunny 1% precip
Saturday 78° Low 48° Sunny
Where to Stay

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Nearby Camping
Fremont Point Cabin 10.7 mi away

Overview Fremont Point Cabin is located on top of the Winter Rim in North Central Lake County, Oregon. The newly constructed cabin, which was completed in the summer of 2015, sits on the same footprint as its predecessor, which was destroyed during a forest fire in 2002. Through numerous donations of funding, materials, and volunteer labor, the cabin has been rebuilt and is now ready for you to enjoy. While the cabin is available year-round, off season access may be limited to foot or snowmob...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
68°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 68°F (20°C)
Avg Air Temp 50°F
Above Ambient +18°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Open
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 9 ft
Land
Ownership Federal
Agency Bureau of Land Management
Designation PUB
Unit Lakeview District Lakeview Field Office
Manager Bureau of Land Management
Protection 3 - Protected, subject to extractive use
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Lost Cabin Spring?
Lost Cabin Spring has a water temperature of 68°F (20°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Lost Cabin Spring located?
Lost Cabin Spring is located in Lake County, Oregon at 4,251 feet elevation, near Lakeview. Coordinates: 42.9330°N, 120.6420°W.
How do I get to Lost Cabin Spring?
Lost Cabin Spring has Roadside road access (9 ft from the road).
Is Lost Cabin Spring free to visit?
Lost Cabin Spring has Open access. It is managed by Bureau of Land Management.
Can I camp near Lost Cabin Spring?
Yes, Fremont Point Cabin is located nearby (10.7 miles away).