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Sweat, soak or sit by the fire at any of these local winter-weather escapes.
Don’t wait for sunshine to get warm during winter in the Pacific Northwest.
Here in Eugene — where sunlight will be scarce for months — coziness is best found by a fireplace or in saunas, hot tubs and natural hot springs. Here’s Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s roundup of the best places to warm up this winter.
For spa days close to home
Onsen Hot Tub & Sauna Rentals
Price: A minimum of two people can rent a hot tub or sauna for $35 per hour. A sauna and hot tub package is $60 per hour.
Location: 1883 Garden Ave., Eugene
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 2 to 10:45 p.m. (time of last reservation); Friday and Saturday, noon to 11:15 p.m.; Sunday noon to 10:45 p.m.
The couple who owns this beloved Eugene business were smart to recognize in the 1980s that customers tend to seek out hot tubs on rainy days. That knowledge led them to open Onsen, where customers can rent jet-propelled hot tubs in private, open-air rooms, as well as private saunas.
Each hot tub room comes with a covered dressing area and shower. Towels and cold drinks are available for $1 each, though the business encourages folks to bring their own.
The business may close or move operations in the next couple of years, as a developer is eyeing the location for new apartments, so check it out before it’s too late.
Nushka’s Spa
Price: A one-person infrared sauna session costs $30.
Location: 1508 Willamette St., Eugene
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays closed
This downtown Eugene spa, run by licensed cosmetician and esthetician Nushka Dobreva, promises that its sauna session will allow guests to “escape from the pressures” of their days. Consider calling to ask if the spa is offering any massage-sauna package deals, as it has previously advertised.
Downtown Athletic Club
Price: Day passes are $30, or $15 if accompanied by a member.
Location: 999 Willamette St., Eugene
Hours: Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The warmer amenities at this upscale Eugene gym aren’t available just to members; visitors can enjoy a whirlpool between 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Both the mens’ and women’s locker rooms have a dry sauna ranging from 185 to 195 degrees and steam room, which sits between 119 and 121 degrees.
For the outdoors enthusiasts
Terwilliger (Cougar) Hot Springs
Price: $12 per person for two hours (ages 12 and older)
Location: Link to directions
Hours: Closed sundown to sunrise and Thursdays 8 a.m. to noon for cleaning
If you’d prefer to warm up in nature, drive 90 minutes east into the Willamette National Forest to visit these natural hot springs. Park and pay for your visit before hiking along the Rider Creek Trail for a quarter-mile to the four shallow soaking pools, which are spaced apart by rock walls laid out in steps down a ravine. They range from 85 degrees Fahrenheit to 112 degrees.
A creek runs down one side of the ravine, offering a refreshing cold dip midsoak, and visitors can stash towels and shoes in a nearby covered hut. FYI, clothing is optional.
Belknap Hot Springs
Price: $12 per person for one hour maximum (ages 5 and older)
Location: 59296 Belknap Hot Springs Road, off Highway 126
Hours: Walk-in guests can rent an hour in the pool between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week, except for holidays. Overnight guests can enjoy the pool from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For a slightly cushier hot spring option, you’ll need to take a slightly longer drive up the McKenzie River valley, about 58 miles east of Eugene. This resort offers walk-in access to its lower pool, while lodge and cabin overnight guests can soak in the resort’s upper pool. The water is pumped from the ground, cooling as it flows through pipes before reaching both pools, which sit at 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, swimsuits are mandatory.
For a fireside chat
The Bier Stein
Price: Technically $0, but we advise you to order a drink or a snack to accompany your visit.
Location: 1591 Willamette St., Eugene
Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, noon to 10 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, noon to 11 p.m.
This brewpub and bottle shop positions several tables around its large fireplace, adding cozy corners to the otherwise cavernous space.
McMenamins
Price: Technically $0, but we advise you to order a drink or a snack to accompany your visit.
Two locations: North Bank at 22 Club Road and East 19th Cafe at 1485 E. 19th Ave.
Hours at East 19th Cafe: Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight.
Hours at North Bank: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
You’ve devoured McMenamins’ tater tots, sure, but have you ever savored them around a crackling hearth? Two of this signature Oregon chain’s Eugene locations — North Bank and East 19th Street — have functional indoor fireplaces. We’d shout out the High Street location, too, but staff tells us that their fireplace is in need of repairs.
Hideaway Bakery & Mazzi’s
Price: Technically $0, but we advise you to order a drink or a snack to accompany your visit.
Location: 3377 E. Amazon Drive
Hours: 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., though the fireplaces turn off at 4 p.m.
This bakery and Italian restaurant share a space, which includes not one, not two, but three indoor fireplaces. In case all the fireside seats are taken, the outdoor area has heaters.
