Unnamed Thermal Spring

Union County, Oregon · Near Elgin
45.5010°N, 117.9730°W · 2,702 ft
Warm 51°F air · Good soaking weather 2,702 ft Roadside Camping nearby (11.6 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around the spring LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around the 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.

An unnamed thermal point in Union County, five miles from Elgin, sitting a few steps off an unnamed road. The record lists it as warm with no measured temperature, so there is no way to say how warm from what is on file. There is no owner on file and no land unit. Access status is blank too. It is a dot on the map and little else.

Location

Roadside, under five yards from the road, at about 2,700 feet outside Elgin. Snowfall runs over six and a half feet a year and precipitation over thirty inches, so expect snowy winters and a fair amount of rain. Summit Guard Station Bunkhouse, about twelve miles off, is the closest place to sleep that the record lists. Nothing on file describes the surroundings.

The record has no best months and no temperature for this one. Roadside access. Check ownership before stopping, since no access is on record. The bunkhouse at Summit Guard Station is the camping on file. No fee recorded.

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 this spring.

Setting
Gentle slope
The ground tilts gently up to the north.
Highest ground nearby
139 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the north
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from south to north, about 0.6 miles end to end.

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

Heat Below
62 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 1% 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
30°
Jan
32°
Feb
39°
Mar
45°
Apr
54°
May
61°
Jun
71°
Jul
72°
Aug
62°
Sep
49°
Oct
38°
Nov
30°
Dec
Annual Precip: 30.8 in Annual Snow: 79.3 in
Current Conditions
51°F
SSW 3.6 mph 76% Good soaking weather
Today 71° Low 42° Partly Sunny 6% precip
Wednesday 75° Low 43° Sunny 2% precip
Thursday 74° Low 43° Chance Rain Showers 35% precip
Friday 77° Low 43° Sunny 8% precip
Saturday 81° Low 45° Sunny 1% precip
Nearby Camping
Nearby Camping
Summit Guard Station Bunkhouse 11.6 mi away

Overview Summit Guard Station Bunkhouse sets the stage for a truly relaxing getaway. Located on the breaks of Meacham Canyon in Umatilla National Forest, spectacular views of the Blue Mountains are guaranteed. The rustic bunkhouse, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, dates back to 1938. The site of the cabin was the Summit Ranger Station in 1908, when the land was part of the Wenaha National Forest. Wenaha was one of the first national forests in the country, established in 1907. It w...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
Warm
Warm Hot Boiling
Avg Air Temp 49°F
Access
Road Access Roadside
Distance to Road 14 ft
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at ?
is classified as warm. An exact temperature measurement has not been recorded.
Where is located?
is located in Union County, Oregon at 2,702 feet elevation, near Elgin. Coordinates: 45.5010°N, 117.9730°W.
How do I get to ?
has Roadside road access (14 ft from the road).
Can I camp near ?
Yes, Summit Guard Station Bunkhouse is located nearby (11.6 miles away).