It is an extreme rarity that hot springs are ever sold; the Boy Scouts are selling the Kitson Hot Springs, and the city of Oakridge has a unique opportunity to purchase them
By Sequoia Hall
At the Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District (UWSWCD) board meeting held on May 13, 2025, they welcomed guest speaker and city administrator James Cleavenger. He spoke about the unique opportunity that Oakridge, Oregon, has to purchase the Kitson Hot Springs for $2.5 million. Cleavenger was seeking a $50,000 grant from UWSWCD to support the costs of the purchase. UWSWCD has a grant specifically for opportunities that suddenly arise like this one, with $83,000 and some change available for spending. The board approved its use unanimously, and subject to budgets being submitted and some other legal documents being turned in, up to $50,000 will be available for use to help with the purchase and fees of buying Kitson Hot Springs.
This purchase is right up the UWSWCD’s alley as the property is located right at the beginning of Hill Creek Lake, which is a big contributor to the Willamette. “The primary thing is the conservation value of protecting the land from either clear-cutting or commercial development,” says the new zone 3 UWSWCD Director Dr. Craig Marcus. All the chemicals and loose dirt and debris would get washed down into the lake, which would in turn make its way right past us in Eugene, and down the meandering Willamette.
This opportunity came about by coincidence, as Oakridge city council members were touring the area when they bumped into an appraiser who said the property was going on the market in a week. Quickly, the city council jumped in and made a deal that they would be the only party for whom the property is for sale. They needed to get the deal done by July 1st, but Cleavenger believes that they will get a 110-day extension. There are many other local (such as McKenzie River Trust) and bigger partner organizations helping to aid in the process as well. The Public Lands Trust, currently advises at the state level and has expertise in conservation reality to help guide the city through the hoops.
Located five miles east of Oakridge, Kitson Hot Springs has two springs on the property and has been owned by the Boy Scouts of America since 1977. Before that, the hot springs were an extremely popular destination for Eugeneans and those that live in the surrounding areas. It was a full resort with a bath house and two dozen small cabins. It was very popular to catch a train there, soak, then catch the train back to Eugene when the train stop used to be nearby.
There are many opportunities that this brings to Oakridge and the surrounding areas. The conservation aspect is the most important, but it would also be an economic driver as it would attract tourism to an underserved community. Educational benefits are also at play. Cleavenger mentioned that he had spoken with Lane Community College Board Members and candidates running for election about the possibility of outdoor learning opportunities. “We already have an understanding that Whole Earth Nature School (an outdoor program for kids) wants to do things there as well,” Cleavenger says. This will provide a unique opportunity to study the area since the city would privately own the land. Permanent structures (like survival huts) would be permitted, as well as studies around the unique biome that hot springs bring.
Geothermal opportunities are being explored as well. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Low-Emission Advanced Power (LEAP) grant allowed city officials to consult the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the potential for geothermal electricity. They concluded that Kitson could be utilized as a binary geothermal power plant, akin to the one in Klamath Falls managed by the Oregon Institute of Technology. Power lines are in place which eliminates a major hassle; if they were put in now, they would have to work around going through the neighboring Umpqua National Forest. This would provide its own set of challenges if that were the case.
If the $2.5 million can not be found in grants or from the public, there is a second option. An anonymous angel donor has offered to buy the property and put it in a trust until the city is able to come up with the funds (yay rich people who are not greedy). This would save it from being swooped up by big timber or commercial developers who would only use this site for profit. The donor has been vetted and has participated in other similar projects to help conservation efforts.
The presentation was met with little opposition from the board, yet concerns were brought up. What happens if the council members change along with their priorities? Clevenger explained that if they were to sell the property, they would owe all federal funding back, but not just the money they received — they would have to pay the full purchase price back ($2.5 million). Kitson Hot Springs are connected well to city officials, as one member of the city council rents it out every year for a family camping trip. The police chief also runs the Boy Scout troop, so the bureaucratic ties to this Oakridge hotspot run deep.
This would be the closest hot spring to Eugene. Barely an hour’s drive, this would be a hub for nature goers and people looking to just soak in mineral water alike. This has been kept from the public for too long, and the folks surrounding Eugene deserve to have access to this natural wonder. “In my opinion, it should be a federal law that hot springs HAVE to be open to the public; it’s such a natural phenomenon,” Cleavenger said.
