Oregon’s Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort shines after renovation

By Greg Johnson

Visitors travel to Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort from around the Pacific Northwest to enjoy the 300 annual days of sunshine and soak in the mineral-enriched hot springs.

Kah-Nee-Ta means “root digger” in the Ichishkiin language of the Warm Springs Tribe. The resort is named to honor a woman — a traditional food gatherer — who once lived on the hot springs land.

There is more reason than ever to visit this high-desert resort in Oregon as it experiences a historic rebirth. The resort closed in 2018, citing bad economic times and a deficient water      system. A partnership among the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Mt. Hood Skibowl and Kah-Nee-Ta CEO Jim Souers led to renovations of the lodge and construction of a restaurant and private cabanas next to new hot-spring soaking pools.

The resort reopened last July with seven hot-spring pools and a “Wellness Polar Bear Plunge” for bathers who like to top off their experience in a hot pool with a cold, 40- to 50-degree plunge. There’s a kiddy pool and spray park; a kid-friendly sports pool with basketball hoops and volleyball nets, as well as a kid-friendly hot tub; three adult wellness pools with temperatures ranging from 100 to 110 degrees; and a heated “lazy river” pool.

The hot springs have healing properties rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium and other therapeutic minerals. The resort implemented a natural filtration system utilizing a series of gravel and sand filters that remove any impurities from the water. Another innovation is the AquaGen system, which infuses the water with oxygen bubbles to keep the water clean and enrich the healing properties of the minerals.

A sea of white lounge chairs surrounding the pools provides an opportunity for relaxation while perusing the surrounding desert hills. Guests can escape the sun by renting a poolside cabana or a private cabana with soaking tub on the Warm Springs River. Whitewater enthusiasts can rent a tube to float a 3-mile branch of the river during the summer months. The tubing run features several riffles as well as Class l and Class ll rapids.

Other activities include disc golf and interactive games to keep kids and grandkids busy. The whole family can also enjoy pingpong, tennis, basketball, sand volleyball, horseshoes, cornhole and pickleball. Outdoor recreationists will enjoy the abundant hiking, biking and walking trails surrounding the resort.

After a busy day, visitors can find dining options at the onsite Chinook Restaurant and Bar. During our recent visit, we sampled the chicken sandwich basket and Indian fry bread. The fry bread, served with huckleberry jam, is a standout. Other fry bread options are the Huckleberry Kiss with whipped cream and powdered sugar; a fry bread burger; and a vegetarian Kah-Nee-Ta Indian taco on fry bread.

Kah-Nee-Ta offers hotel, RV park and, yes, teepee lodging. The 30 hotel rooms feature small refrigerators microwaves, decks and a common-area BBQ. The RV park has 50 sites with water, sewer and electricity hookups, and 20 sites without hookups.

Day-trippers can soak in the hot springs and utilize resort amenities from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily for $29 midweek and $39 on weekends. Kah-Nee-Ta is located near Warm Springs, about two hours from Vancouver. For information, call 541-553-1112 or visit www.kahneeta.com.

Greg Johnson is a travel writer for The Messenger.